Informed Consent
by ElleThom
Summary: Sometimes one can look everywhere for something, and find it where they last left it. Better make sure you step into something knowing full well what to expect.
1. Chapter 1

**Here is that new story i promised. Hope no one is disappointed with it. its different than what many of you are expecting, but rest assured theree will be suitable amounts of mirth abound.**

The worst thing about working the A and E had little to nothing to do with the patients. In fact they were the best part of the job. The small hands that held onto hers, the eyes that searched for answers, the mouths that twitched for hope.

No, the finest part of her job was most definitely the patients.

But the shit was in the small details.

Endless charting and walking and waiting. Tests to run, instruments to find, and nurses to order around. The job came with a list of duties that were never ending. Though, previous experience had given her much pleasure in the ordering around of nurses. At least the blond ones.

She held onto the title of Dr. with as much pride and ardor as her parents seemed to take in mentioning to friends. Martha Jones stepped into the hospital every morning with a cock sure m=smile and sturdy love for her job because Martha Jones knew her shit.

In her most secret of secret idlings, in the small time she had to ponder or fancy, usually on the tube that brought her to and from her home, Martha endeavored to believe that her medical skills could be likened to a super hero. But that was idle bullshit. In reality her skills were hard won during an entire year of existence that no one would believe ever happened.

Well, nearly no one.

Martha also found herself wondering what he would think of her choice to practice medicine again. It had been he who secured her job at UNIT, and she had turned down an ongoing stint with Jack in the bowels of Cardiff.

Of course the pronoun needed neither explanation nor mentioning in her mind. It was the sincerest pain she had felt in her short tenure of life. He would never acknowledge her as anything more than the most brilliant human he had ever met. For anyone that would have been enough, more than enough. It would have been the sun, the moon, and every star in earth's meager sky.

But he would never, not in a million years multiplied by eternity, would he see her as anything more than that. Martha would always hold an outstretched hand that would be slapped playfully away.

As she walked the bitter smelling halls of the first floor, Martha smiled at friends as she passed them. The decision to leave Unit was hers and hers alone, had nothing to do with her mother's pleas to try something 'normal' for a change.

Who the fuck wanted normal anyway?

But she needed that adrenaline rush, the constant changing, always something new or challenging. She knew she would never take her education for granted, but she also knew she would always be something just this side shy of normal.

It wasn't posh Royal Hope that she chose to work in. That would have made Francine Jones smile in that contented self-smug air that Martha had come to love and mimic so well. No, Martha accepted a position in the poorest section of London, near the Council Estates. The irony was most definitely not lost on her.

"Curtain three is a feast for the eyes." Nurse Patel commented as she breezed past Martha. She had grown to really like Nurse Patel, the woman not only knew how to do her job, she did it well and with a wry sense of humor that kept things interesting. The more serious the situation, the more one could rely on Patel for both ability and humor.

Martha accepted the file into her hands from the still moving woman and made her way to the sectioned off area in the far corner.

The man inside was handsome, blondish hair small features and lanky build. He held his arm in such a way Martha didn't need an x-ray to know that he needed a cast and some really good drugs.

"Broken." The man offered, who's name according to the file was John Smith.

"Interesting name, Mr. Smith." Martha smirked as she began to examine the man's injury. "And I am the trained professional here, so I will be the one to judge whether or not the cast needs to be set or not."

The man sniffed loudly before going on. "It's just that, well I am a nurse sort of, I know a little bit about these things. Not to mention I am the one with the immense amount of pain-ow!" he tried to move his arm away from her ministrations and made another sound of pain for his foolishness.

"Nurse or not mate, you should know better than to move a broken arm around like that." She smirked as she made a notation on the chart. "I am going to send you off to get that scanned, and then we'll see what' needed, yeah?" she flashed her best 'I'm a doctor.' smile at him before heading to the door to call for transport. "how did you manage that anyway?" She asked imagining some football injury that he would have to explain to his wife later.

"Well, there was running." He grimaced trying to adjust into a more comfortable position. "So much running."

"Were you being chased?" Martha asked with concern.

"When are we not?" he muttered just outside of her hearing.

"What was that?" she asked coming closer to Mr. Smith again.

"Just, nothing." He shook his head. "Football. We were running for the goal, I got tangled up with the forward."

"Ouch, mate." Martha grinned. "Those pub leagues can be murder."

"Only the alien ones." She heard him mutter.

Martha shrugged and made a mental note to put in for a psych consult for the handsome young man. She had just made the final notes on his chart and got him to sign off on consent when the transport appeared.

"Uhm, excuse me?" Mr. Smith asked as the orderly made his way into the room with the wheelchair.

"Yeah?" She asked shoving her hands into the pockets of her pristine coat, wishing she had made a getaway before he started in with the anxieties.

"My wife and the Do-her friend may show up. Could you let them know I am ok?" he asked.

Martha placed her hand upon his shoulder and patted softly. "Of course, I'll let them know."

With that, the orderly took him off to be checked.


	2. Chapter 2

Tish wasn't even having it.

"No way Martha, there is no way you are bailing on me on this one. You have known about this for weeks, I just knew you would try to bail on me at the last minute."

Martha shrugged as if the woman on the phone could see her gesture of disinterest. "What can I say T Tish, work is short staffed."

"Oh no Martha Anne Jones!" Tish bellowed loud enough to make Martha move the phone away from her ear. Far away. "Don't you dare blame this one on work. I have had it up to here with your residence in Martyrdom!"

Martha wondered if now would be a bad time to point out her sister's resemblance to their mother.

Probably.

"Tish, I have to stay tonight and help out. There aren't enough people here to cover a Saturday night, and you can only imagine how crazy things can get."

"Don't make me show up there to check things out Martha." Tish threatened.

"Tish, come on give it a rest, yeah?"

But the rest Martha was begging for was nowhere on Tish's agenda. "Ever since your divorce from Mickey, you haven't done anything, gone anywhere, been with anyone."

"Tish, I am still in the mourning stage of my divorce."

"Mourning my ass. You are going through the same shit that ruined your marriage in the first place."

Tish." Martha warned, knowing full well where this conversation was headed. "Stop right there before you tread onto dangerous-"

"Dangerous what? You are still pining over someone-thing, that you are never going to have. Why don't you just give it up already. Or, join a convent. Something. Just, stop pretending you are trying to move on in your life, because the truth is, you are not moving on at all. You are stuck on stupid and you will be forever if you are not careful, and do you know where that gets you?"

Martha let her silence speak for itself.

"It gets you a flat with doilies, hard candies in fake crystal dishes, and a million cats. Alone. Always alone Martha. He does not give a shit about you and he never will. Join the land of the living, some out and play with the humans for a while." The sound of the connection being severed was louder than Martha could have imagined on a mobile.

"That phone aint gonna dial itself." Nurse Patel muttered as she passed by,.

"There is an app for that." Martha countered as she wondered if Nurse Patel ever maintained a stationary location.

Martha shut her phone and turned to the attending nurse at the station. "Is there anything about that broken arm?"

The nurse shrugged and pointed to the file sitting in the in box.

"You should go out with your sister. Meet the new guy she wants to hook you up with." Patel smirked from the other side of the desk.

Martha shrugged non committedly and refused to acknowledge the legitimacy of her nurse's summation.

"I just think that you are young, and free, and sticking around this hospital cannot be good for you." Patel went on, pretending no to pay attention to the younger woman. "Unless men in bandages and comas in your thing."

Martha again shrugged.

"He must have been some fella." Patel surmised without looking at Martha.

"He was." She agreed after a long pause.

Patel nodded and went on. "He dead?" she asked, her Indian accent coming through thickly.

"No, yes. Sort of."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The arm was broken.

She hated when the patient was right. It was not a personal affront to her technique nor her ability as a doctor. It was the fact that she had to swallow humble pie and admit that some nurse knew as much as she did about osteology as she did.

Curtain two was on the far side of the A and E, tucked in a corner away from the fray. Martha advanced upon the area as she thumbed through the x-rays. It was a greenstick break, the kind that would have occurred from torsion upon the bone in a spiral motion. If John Smith got his arm broken in a football game, then that was one rough ass game.

She was practicing her interrogation skills when she came upon the scene in the small exam room.

"Ahhh, come on Rory, say 'ahhh'" the voice implored.

"I am not going to open my mouth to let you examine my tongue. I have not injured my mouth. I have a broken arm."

"Just let him look at you, quit being such a baby," the female voice implored impatiently.

Martha was not sure if she should intrude upon what was obviously a personal moment, but the possibility of someone practicing medicine on what was her patient made it a matter of medical importance.

Martha Jones opened the door and entered the small room with a smile and a cadence what brokered no argument for control. "I have your test results Mr. Smith." she offered with a wave of the file in her hand.

The man in the tweed jacket and bow tie turned to face her entrance., "OH, " he remarked in a voice that dripped with surprise. "Well, look at that, we are blessed to be in the presence of Dr. Jones!' he exclaimed, hands moving from the face of the patient.

Martha stared at the young man in front of her. "Do I know you?" she asked quizzically.

The thin brunette smiled at her with all of the charm of a child caught in the act of stealing cookies. He made an odd motion at his lapel and cleared his throat. Martha subconsciously "Oh, right, I keep forgetting that they put our names on these things." she tugged at her coat.

The brunette smiled at her and turned his attention back to the man with the broken arm. "This is good Rory, she is going to fix you right up."

"Rory?" Martha asked, ashamed of feeling so confused in the situation. "I thought you were John Smith?"

The tall man in the bow tie fixed an acrid look at his friend. "What did you use that name for? That's my name. I like that name. I've used it for a long time; you had no right to steal it. " the man spoke in a voice that seemed to stem from both hurt and anger.

"Don't you yell at him!" the red headed woman defended.

The brunette turned to the red head and spoke. "Amy, I am trying to help him but I cannot if he uses things that do not belong to him."

"Oi!" the injured man interjected. "You told me to keep a low profile, what's lower than an alias?"

"Well, you didn't have to use mine!" he added.

"Whoa, wait a minute, what the hell is going on here." Martha spoke, finally sick of the disjointed conversation.

They ignored her anyway.

"You could have come up with a completely different alias, do you have any idea how many people have used that particular moniker?" the brown haired man insisted.

"Then why do you use it?"" the man that had been referred to as Rory asked, still holding his arm.

"And stop yelling at him , he was doing as he was told. You are the one who told us to keep a low profile!" The red head again insisted.

Martha, used to insanity in her job, surmised the situation and decided it was time to take control. "OK," she began. "This has gone on long enough. I have a patient in need of medical care, and if you two wish to continue your idiocracy, I suggest you do it in the waiting room while I attend to my patient." She finished.

The two non-patients in the room closed their mouths and eyed the dark skinned woman with a mixture of awe and reverence. "Sorry." The red head offered as she moved closer to her husband, "Is he gpoing to be ok?" she asked finally.

Martha nodded as she set about gathering the necessary tools for setting the cast on 'John's' arm. "He will be fine once I set his arm.. He will be able to go in an hour or so."

The lanky brunette nodded and moved to the other side of the room. "Right, thanks Martha I appreciate it." He offered with a nod.

Martha felt every single cell in her body cease for a moment, every single cell in her body stopped any and all function as she processed the ideas that ran through her mind. "My first name is not on my coat mate," she admitted as she began to wrap the man's arm.

The man in the tweed coat grinned and turned his face toward the beautiful doctor. "Guess you don't need to make that cast." He mentioned whipping out an odd instrument with a green light at the end.

"Guess not Doctor." Martha nodded as she stood and stepped away from her patient, watching as the Doctor healed Rory's would with a small pass of the odd instrument.

'


	3. Chapter 3

**So here we are, third chap and anyone who has read me knows i get a little slow going, but once i take off, i take off. This one is planned out, i just have to write it all out and make everything come together**

**Thanks for the reviews all and for sticking it out  
**

He had the good sense to look sufficiently repentant. "Doctor Martha Jones.' He grinned evenly.

Martha folded her arms across herself and raised her chin. "Well, Doctor, I see not much about you has changed, 'cept maybe your face."

He moved his hand around said features. "Ah, yes, well" he twitched. "Right then. Rory, right as rain."

The red head made her way over to the smaller woman. "You know the Doctor then?" she asked

Martha nodded and began to put away the medical supplies. "Yeah, I knew him."

"Knew?" she asked turning to the Doctor. "I don't understand…"

The Doctor patted her head a smiled "It's all right Amy, I will explain it later. Don't confuse yourself. It's all complex really. Massively complex."

Martha turned to the younger woman. "It's not that complex really. He changes faces."

"Martha," the Doctor defended.

"And bodies."

"Bodies, wait what?" Rory, armed now completely healed, jumped from the gurney and glared at the Doctor.

"Like he changers clothes apparently. What's with the Indiana Jones look anyway?" Martha smirked.

"You knew him then, like before this face?" Amy asked.

Martha nodded. "Oh yeah, he was," she sighed and leaned against the counter, "Different. Bit older that is for sure. And, he was taller."

"Sexier?" Amy asked conspiratorially.

"Amy!" Both Rory and the Doctor warned.

"Oh yeah!" Martha nodded.

"Rory, Amy I regenerate, it's something that happens when I—Wait a minute, what are you doing here anyway?" he turned and brought his face close to Martha "You were working for UNIT, why are you here exactly?"

"I'm sorry, was I to work exactly where you designated?" Martha huffed angrily.

The Doctor advanced upon her again, waving his screwdriver over her. "Oi mate, watch where you point that thing.! She warned.

"I am just checking to make sure it's you. I seem to remember you a lot nicer."

"That was before I had a three month stint as your maid." Martha fired.

"You were his maid?" Amy asked eyes wide as saucers.

"Not surprised," Rory nodded knowingly. "I knew he was full of himself."

"Amongst other things" Martha added.

"Oi, now just a minute…" the Doctor waved his finger in the air, but stopped in mid jab. "You're right Martha. I was horrible to you. I am sorry."

No one spoke. Silence filled every inch of the small exam room. Even Amy seemed surprised at the words from the Doctor. "Well, new face, new body, new me." He grinned, putting his sonic back into his pocket.

"Thank you." Martha whispered low.

The Doctor reached over to hug her, but patted her head instead. "No Martha Jones. Thank you." He smiled. "You know, he thought ... I think the world of you."

"You speak as if he was a different person. He was you, right?" She asked

The Doctor opened his mouth to explain, but closed shut once he realized there were still other people in the room. "Fancy a trip Martha?" he asked offering her his arm.

Martha smiled. "Oh no Mister, I know how your one trips are. You can barely fly that thing." She grinned. "Besides, the last time you offered me a trip, it was a one-time offer, one trip, remember?"

"I know, I was awful. Humiliating in fact. This time, Dr. Jones, you tell me when you have had enough."

"I did last time." She smiled.

The Doctor nodded, "That you did. That is what I have always liked about you, your brains."

"Brains would be what keep me outta that crazy blue box of yours." She grinned.

"Now Martha, TARDIS adores you, you shouldn't be making comments like that."

"Does he still rub the damn thing?" Martha asked the smiling couple.

"Like a kid and his Mum." Amy added.

"More like a nut with a crush." Rory insisted, earning him a well-placed elbow from his wife. "Oi! Injured man here!"

"Are we getting a new TARDIS mate?" Amy asked with a small smile.

"Now hold on, I have responsibilities here Peter Pan, I just can't go running off with you and the Lost Boys whenever—" She grinned large before grabbing her mobile to phone Tish.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

He had left the TARDIS in the field across from the hospital. "I used to live over here. "Martha mused as they walked. "My first year of medical school I lodged with a single mum. Got my stethoscope stolen one morning while I crashed out on the couch Christmas Eve."

The Doctor cleared his throat "Yes, right. The Sycorax. Nasty business." He turned and unlocked the door throwing it open with a flourish.

"Why do I get the feeling you know more about that than you are letting on?" Rory asked.

"The Sycorax? Of course I know about it, I was there. Well sort of." The Doctor smiled, moving around the console flipping switched and adjusting random mechanisms.

"I think he meant the stethoscope, but whatever." Amy said.

The Doctor looked at Martha. "You got it back. Jackie had no way to know whose it was." Honestly some people will hold onto the most mundane things. " he shook his head as if to clear the thoughts. "Now Dr. Jones, all of time and space, where would you like to go?"

"I have always wanted to go and see a play at the Globe theatre." Rory mused.

"No," Martha and The Doctor answered in unison.

"Problems with Elizabethan England?" Amy asked the pair.

"More like problems with Elizabeth." Martha smiled. "Did you ever find out what you did to Queen Elizabeth anyway?"

The Doctor seemed to squirm "Well, let's just say that no matter what century, its bad form to break off a marriage with just a letter."

"You didn't" Amy leaned over and poked the Doctor with a long finger.

"Well, she was smothering me, and I mean that quite literally, you ever try to be intimate with someone wearing fifty pounds of clothing and see where that gets you."

"You married Queen Elizabeth and then ditched her? No wonder she tried to kill you mate." Martha shook her head and snickered. "I don't think it's safe for you to ever return to Elizabethan England. I suggest you stay away from that century altogether."

"I am not the one who had to dodge Will's libido." The Doctor gave Martha a waggle of his eyebrows before going on. "Now, where shall we go."

"Shall we play our old game Doctor?" Martha asked.

The Doctor turned and grabbed her hand. "I have a new game," he took her hands and placed them on the instruments. Within moments, she was flying the ship.

It was more than what she had expected. To be once again whisked off to parts unknown with the man that held so much of her life in such a small bit of time.

He took over landing her, but he explained every detail as he brought the ship to a halt. "Here we are then, Earth."

"SO, " Rory asked, "Where are we? Is it the fifties, or 1999?" he grinned at his own joke.

The Doctor came around the console to the front doors and threw himself in front of them. "No place like it." He smiled before throwing the doors upon Martha's apartment.


	4. Chapter 4

**Stay with me, i think you guys are going to like where i take this one, at least i hope so. Its starting to take shape,**

She turned and looked at the opened door. "You've brought me home?" she asked, voice cracking.

"Well, yes " the Doctor nodded stepping out into her apartment.

Martha raised her head and fixed her face in a steely glare. "Fine." And pushed past the Doctor, stormed into her room.

Amy and Rory exchanged looks before rushing to catch up with the Doctor. "You brought her home?" she asked.

"Well yes," the Doctor repeated. "Why wouldn't I? She needs to get her things, right? You women seem to have numerous amounts of things that you need to take with you." he waved away the notion..

Amy smacked the back of his head. "You idiot! She thinks you brought her home."

"Ow, what's you do that for! I did bring her home, and don't do that again" he rubbed the side of his head for emphasis.

"You idiot!" Amy smacked the other side of his head. "She thinks you are leaving her at home."

"Ow! Why would I do a silly thing like that…oh!' It was as if the lights had been turned on in a very dark room. The Doctor's eyes became as large as saucers as he made the connection. "Oh, yes I did do that once."

"To Martha?" Amy asked angrily.

"Well, it was only supposed to be one trip, and admittedly it turned into like four or five…oh" the lights came on brighter as the Doctor twirled his way to the now shut door of Martha's bedroom. "Martha?" he tapped gently. "Martha I think you misunderstood me. I didn't bring you home. Well I did bring you home, but I didn't do it to drop you here."

The door remained closed and Amy and Rory stood across the room from the Doctor. "She isn't going to open that door. " Rory smirked, arms folded.

The Doctor continued to talk to the closed door. "I mean I did bring you here, and I intended to stop. But, I t was to only grab a few things for our trip." The Doctor looked over th=o his friends, who, through hand gestures and muffled instructions, attempted to get him to keep talking.

"The thing is, I know the last time I brought you home, I did intend to leave you here. Well, he did anyway.: the Doctor tapped at the door again. "Martha, I am trying to apologize but that is really really hard when you are talking through a door. "

Rory shook his head as Amy pantomimed a pleading tone.

"Please?" he asked Amy more than to Martha. "Oh right. May I come in, please."

The door remained shut. The Doctor offered his arms out in submission then began to dig for his sonic.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

She was livid. Beyond that point in fact, if there was a point where one could go once absolutely furious was passed. He had brought her home. And truly she knew it was just to get her things, but the fact that it still bothered her, bothered her.

She was now locked into a behavior. The angry w=jilted woman was a hard dress to return. She didn't want to be that anymore, but she did not want to let him off of the hook so easily either. She wanted to lay out a few ground rules and get some old things off of her chest.

But it was hard to be stern when he was standing outside of her bedroom door fumbling for the right words to say.

Martha leaned against the door listening to the Doctor stumble through a stilted apology, When he threatened to open the door himself, she threw open the door, grabbed him by the lapel and dragged him inside, shutting the door behind them.

"Well, that was clever." He offered, straightening his jacket.

"We need to talk."

"We are talking."

Martha sighed and sat on the overstuffed chair in the corner of her bedroom. "I don't want to go with you if this is how things are going to be."

"I don't understand what you mean." He admitted.

"I don't want to keep holding on to the past. I assumed you had brought me home to drop me here—"

"Just like I did that time." The Doctor nodded, easing himself into the opposite chair. "I don't know how to explain to you that I am a different person now. Quite literally."

Martha nodded, "I know that, in here." She pointed to her head. "But I don't know that in _here_" she pointed to her heart. "Do you have any idea how much I –This is a bad idea, maybe I should just stay here. "

"He knew Martha, he knew and I know." The Doctor seemed to grow uncomfortable at the conversation. "Look, do we really need to hash this out?" he rose and opened her closet door, "Here, I will help you pack..."

Martha laughed and rushed to the closet. "You are insane, I mean more so than last time." She giggled. "Here, you get down my suitcases off the top shelf and I will start to get my things together."

"Truce?" he asked earnestly "No more living in the past."

Martha realized she liked this softer less human version of her friend. He was still in there, somewhere, that brilliant insufferable man. But he also possessed a vulnerability that his former self lacked. There was still an air of supreme arrogance, but Martha got the impression that he was more likely to get things wrong, get messy, break shit, and admit to being lost.

An hour later they were unplugging appliances around her apartment while Rory raided her DVD collection. "Infinite time and space." He mumbled as he tossed her copies of Harry Potter into a bag. "And we can't get more than basic Sky."

Martha's sister Tish had dropped by to meet the new Doctor and offered to let her family know she would be gone for a while. "I can't believe you are going to just take off at a moment's notice. Well, then again it is the Doctor. I suppose you'd drop even labor for that one."

"Tish!" Martha admonished but smiled nonetheless. "That is not true. I just want to go and see what else is out there. I don't even feel the same way about him. He is a completely different person now. " she defended.

"Yeah, right. I said that about me ex." Tish murmured as she helped get her sister's things into the TARDIS. "You have been redecorating. Doctor." Tish marveled at the steam punk décor.

"Yes well, one tires of Emo Goth " he grinned. "Now, it's time for you to say your goodbyes, it's been great but time marches on. I have been in the same place for." He checked the watch on his arm that Martha guessed didn't really tell time at all. "oh a whole hour. All right, off we go then."

Tish promised to let everyone know she had gone, and Martha promised a visit soon. By the time Tish shut the door, the strange blue box was already dematerializing.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXx

"So, Wraivlyk 7." The Doctor through his arms wide as the small entourage emerged from the TARDIS "The great thing about this planet is that they have absolutely no currency. You have to barter for everything."

"Everything?" Martha asked, wondering if she should be wearing her favorite earrings.

"Yes," the Doctor turned and placed his index finger upon her nose. "Everything.." he smiled before trotting off toward what resembled a large open air market.

The trio offered each other identical glares of long suffering before hurrying to catch up to the hyper man.

They marveled at the sites while the Doctor tried to explain everything to them as they went. Speaking quickly and often rambling, he pointed out things they would want, dug into his endless pockets for trinkets and safe things to barter. Martha did relinquish her favored pair of costume earrings; in trade for 12 carat diamond ones.

"I don't see what you humans have for that bit of glass. Those earrings you gave up are worth far more than these." The Doctor prattled. "Diamonds are not even the strongest substance in the universe.'

"I'm hungry," Amy pouted as they passed by the third booth offering smells of roasting meat.

"You don't want to eat that." The Doctor led them away to another section to the market. "Here is human safe food. You'd have eaten that stuff and we would have to go visit the hospital over there."

The three looked to the large white building off in the distance. It stood out like a sore thumb against the endless sprawl of third world looking merchant booths. "How do you know that's a hospital?" Rory asked.

"The green moon on the side of the building, see it? That is the universal symbol for hospital.' The Doctor explained.

The three settled into what tasted a lot like turkey sandwiches and tomato soup. "We could stay here tonight; the hospital also doubles as a hostile."

"I don't know how I feel about sleeping in a hospital when there is nothing wrong with me." Amy shrugged,

"After a twenty eight hour shift, you get used to it." Martha nodded.

"Amen." Rory agreed.

By the time the second sun was beginning to set, the four decided to make their way back to the TARDS to put away their bags and grab a change of clothes.

As she came from her room, Martha could hear a shouting match erupting from the console room.

"You said the food was human safe, why is she sick?" Rory was shouting at the Doctor as he waved his screwdriver around Amy who sat on the jump seat shivering.

"Amy, sit still. Rory, shut up." The Doctor rose from the floor and began to pace.

"What's going on?" Martha asked, feeling herself going into doctor mode.

"Finally, a real doctor!" Rory announced rushing over to Martha. "Amy suddenly started to feel sick, she passed out."

"Did you now?" Martha asked taking Amy's hand to get her pulse. "What happened before you fainted?"

"Martha, all that is unnecessary. Put her hand down. You are not going to figure out what's wrong with her that way."

"Oi! I see you are still pushy."

The Doctor stopped pacing and turned to face the three. 'pushy or not, I know what's wrong with Amy, and we have a big problem. Huge."


	5. Chapter 5

**You can blame TARDUS-MOLE for the delay of this update, his story has become a minor obsession for me**

**i am back on track tho I hope this does the trick Sorry for the short chapter, but i will be back to regular updates now that i know where this one is going .  
**

This is new.

Martha stood watching the alien that she knew so well pace the console room. He was never a pacer. Manic to the point of distraction, yes

Energetic, oh yes.

Frantic when there was something to do or someone to save, you could not get the man to sit still.

But nervous energy, this was definitely something for the book. "You are making me sea sick." She huffed on his twelfth rotation of the console.

"We aren't at sea Martha." He stopped and patted her head for effect, as if to say 'sorry you are so dense dear, do try to keep up or just sit in the corner and let the grown ups work.

"Don't patronize me Doctor." Martha said, arms folded as a means to keep from wrapping them around her friend's neck. "I am a doctor."

"Yes Martha, yes you are." He straightened his jacket and moved closer to Amy." Amy, you are going to have a baby."

Amy looked up to Rory, who continued to stare at the Doctor as if he would sprout a second and third head at any time. "Why are you saying it like that? What's wrong with her?" he screamed.

The Doctor turned and began that odd pacing thing again, but this time he spoke as he moved. "Well, we will need to get your things out of your room, you have to have some things to barter, I will look around the TARDIS, see what I can give you. Have either of you got any gold?" he stopped in front of Rory, eliciting a glare from the young nurse.

"I'm, pregnant?" Amy asked, chin quivering."

The three humans in the room stared at the Doctor in absolute confusion. Martha could see Rory was mere moments from eviscerating the doctor. "I think this is wonderful news." Martha added, almost too late. Something about the doctor's demeanor was giving her the heebie geebies, but she wanted to offer the young couple as much support as she could before the man dropped the bucket of piss onto the parade.

"Yes, well you would think that." The Doctor sniffed.

"Oi! I think you had better either change your attitude, or tell us what is really going on here." Martha insisted.

"Yeah, I would listen to the lady there Doctor." Rory took his wife's hand in his and squeezed.

Martha was touched at his utter devotion to Amy; a small pang began to roll in the deepest part of her, a pang that she had not felt in what seemed like ages. "Doctorm come on, tell us what is going on."

The Doctor came closer to Amy, stopped moving finally and took both of her hands into his. "Amy, I am going to tell you the problem now. You are going to know all of your options, and we are going to face this together." He looked over to Martha for what seemed like strength.

"Ok," Amy nodded, taking in a deep but shaky breath. "Ok."

The Doctor smiled at her approvingly "Right, now the thing is, you are pregnant, completely healthy boy, but-"

"Oi! Save some mystery!'

The doctor hit his forehead with his right hand, smacking his sonic across his own cheek. "Right, sorry, you lot like to be surprised." He smirked. "Well, here is a surprise for you. Two words. First clue, first word rhymes with…rhyme."

"Doctor." Martha warned moving closer to the twitchy man.

"Second word, rhymes with ickness. Now I can certainly understand if you two want to sit out the lightening round," He went on, again pacing madly.

"What are you saying Doctor? Is the baby sick?"

…. but here is the problem, Amy, Rory, Amy cannot take any more rides in the TARDUS until she delivers. Traveling through time and space while pregnant is dangerous. Very very dangerous. Imagine the tiny little creature in there who has taken up residence in our Amy, well he would be ripped into shreds. In fact, that could tear the TARDIS into shreds as well. She is duty bound to not destroy life. "

The console room became a seplichure. No one spoke as the Doctor's words sank into the others. "You mean we are stuck here?" Rory asked after what seemed like an eternity.

"No, well _you_ aren't," the Doctor smiled

"Whoa, I am not going anywhere without my wife!" Rory insisted.

"Ok," the Doctor nodded emphatically. "Then I need to get you two sets of everything."

"Oi, wait a minute, you are not going to leave us here on an alien planet where we don't know anyone…" Martha folded her arms.

"Of course not Martha, I will take you with me—"

"The hell you are!" Amy finally spoke, rising from the jump seat and advancing upon the Doctor. "I have followed your sorry ass all over the damn galaxy-"

"—universe actually," The Doctor corrected.

"Don't interrupt me!" She stood her full height, and Martha laughed to herself to see the Doctor begin to back up away from the small red head.

"Yes well…" the Doctor fumbled.

"No,, you are going to find somewhere safe for the four of us to stay-" Amy fired a glance in Martha's direction, both asking permission and asserting finality.

Martha raised her hands in obvious defeat before speaking. "Hey, I am merely along for the ride…er lack thereof then, right?" she smiled to ease the woman's mind.

Amy nodded and turned her attention back to the Doctor. "You are going to find a nice quiet corner of this rock, somewhere beautiful, quiet-"

"—safe" Rory interjected.

"Safe, and preferably near a hospital with lots and lots of good pain meds." She nodded again. "And, you are not to get into that box the entire time, well at least for a ride. You get that?" She pressed her finger squarely between the Doctor's hearts, and Martha let loose a giggle that she quickly and wisely got hold of. How this tiny little woman had him so scared she had no idea.

But, she was excited to find out.

The Doctor nodded and fumbled toward the console, backwards, Martha wondered if it was out of fear or speed that he quickly located a nearby location that met with the criteria posed by Amy. He announced that they would be moving into a nice quiet area that was not populated by anyone. "Near a small lake, fairy tale really." He assured them all before rushing off deeper into the TARDIS

"So," Amy asked, holding her hand over her still flat abdomen while grabbing onto Rory's hand. "This is happening."

Rory nodded "Yeah, this is happening." He threw a look over to Martha on the other side of the large room. "I am sorry, I mean, if you really need to go home…"

"And miss watching him have an eight month long freak out? Not on your life bud. This is going to be fun."

"He does get itchy feet. " Amy nodded. "This is going to be hell on him."

"Good," Rory nodded. "For all the times we had to run because he stuck those big boots into his mouth."

"OR stuck those boots somewhere they did not belong." Amy nodded.

"Or made you play maid for him while he ran off falling in love with tiny blond nurses with superiority complexes and just a tad bit racist. Meanwhile you're cleaning up after all of his messes and he's playing kissy face with Nurse Red Hot, and you have to take care of the TARDIS, run from giant May Flies, and lose best friends. And may I add when—" Martha looked at the gawping couple staring at her from across the room and shrugged.

"Still angry?" the Doctor asked from across the room, arms full of valuables and blue luggage.

"I am still working through a few things." She smiled.

"Right, well. We need to get a move on; I have called ahead and arranged for a vehicle to be delivered for us. You all need to get your things ready, while I shut down the old girl."

The three began to move toward their rooms to pack their things. "Did he really do all that?" Amy asked eyes big as saucers.

"Let's pace ourselves Amy." The Doctor warned from behind them. "We have eight months to play catch up."

"Karma has a way of picking up speed on the return trip." Martha nodded as the Doctor began the necessary system shut downs. "No chameleon arch this time Doctor. You will have to be conscious of how immobile you are."

She smiled at his nearly imperceptible flinch.


	6. Chapter 6

**Bare with me, i promise i have not abandoned this one, it is going to be a long ride so strap on. If you all are sitll with me, i may update tomorrow afternoon. i am starting to enjoy this one...**

The house was actually beautiful. For an alien planet to have such a wonderful and large house suitable for humans with almost no alien amenities. It was astounding. That the Doctor had found the place, sight unseen, was also another major miracle.

"Well, looks like we lucked out on this one. " Amy smiled as they approached the odd shaped but large house.

"Yes, right Amy, it was all luck, no one made any calls or bartered or changed around their whole lived just so this would be here." The Doctor mumbled as he pulled another large case out of the vehicle.

"Doctor," Martha gentled as the alien manhandled the dimensionally transcendent luggage.

"What?" he fired perhaps too harshly, Martha's expression softened his actions. "Oh, all right then. I suppose its no one's fault really. Well, sort of. "

"This is a miraculous thing Doctor." Martha defended.

"Miraculous, miraculous? The whole world is out reproducing every day. The whole universe every moment of every day, and all points in between. You call it miraculous? Sounds more epidemic to me."

He continued to the house, dragging his case behind him, oblivious to the shocked faces of his three companions. "Well, he hasn't changed much."

"Really?" Rory asked as they came to the triangular shaped front door.

Martha nodded, "oh yes, a bit quieter in his old age but still. Not as manic."

"I find that hard to believe." Amy added.

The inside of the house was as large as they had hoped it was. Spacious with large though oddly shaped windows and high ceilings. The colors were subdued, muted even. The main room was large enough to throw a football game in. Martha noted the loft style of the upstairs the railing fitted around and left a very open view of both the upstairs rooms and the third floor outside enclosure.

"I have never seen anything like this." Amy breathed as she twirled around the room taking everything in.

Martha shook her head. "Me neither. Doctor how did you come across something like this to rent on such short notice?"

"It's not rented." He shouted from above their heads

Rory looked up to where the disembodied voice drifted from. "What do you mean it's not rented  
? Are we to be arrested for trespassing?"

"Wouldn't be the first time." Martha mumbled.

"Too right." Amy agreed.

"I heard that!" The Doctor came tumbling down the stairs at his usual break neck speed. "And, to answer your questions, this is not rented. This is our home."

"You bought this?" Rory asked bemused.

"I _bartered_ it." The Doctor corrected. "Pay attention Rory, weren't you listening when I said everything here is bartered?" He made a distasteful sound in his throat before heading back out to the carriage.

Martha shot him a sidelong glance and then turned to smile at Rory. "Much nicer." She nodded before following the alien upstairs.

She found him in the room with the club shaped door. He was sitting on the bed pulling random items out of his bottomless suitcase. Half his body was buiried into the case and Martha was prepared to grab his ankle to prevent him from going under.

"You really have to tone down the attitude." She accused as she sat on the bed a safe distance from the Doctor.

The Doctor shrugged and seemed to ignore her suggestion, instead pulling free a rather large coat rack

"you can't keep ignoring me." She accused.

"Yes I can, I am a grown man and I can do whatever I want." He retorted petulantly.

Martha smiled and shook her head at his immaturity. "It's a blessed event for them Doctor."

"It's an inconvenience for me!" he pouted. "No one told them to run off and get pregnant. In fact I specifically left them a rather large container of—"

"Doctor!" Martha waggled her finger at him "this is their first child, they are in love and truly happy about it. They are also scared, and I don't blame them for being afraid of being left on a foreign planet to fend for themselves. Had I not been here I would hope you would have made the same decision."

The Doctor sighed loudly and threw the coat rack across the room. "Of course I would have." He admitted. "I always have feared red head,."

Martha chuckled softly and took her friends hand. "You have to be happy for them. What did you tell me when we first met? You are over nine hundred years old."

"More than that now." He sighed again looking heavenward as if for strength. "More than that now."

"So what's a few months in your existence?" she smiled comfortingly.

"An eternity in one place.' He pouted again.

"Doctor.' She warned.

The man with the bow tie rose t=from the bed and began to pace. Martha would have found the whole thing funny had she not seen the absolute fear in his eyes. "The universe just churns on and on, do you know how much wrong can go out there?" he asked still moving around the spacious room.

"but the beauty is," she began. "is that it travels in time as well as space."

The Doctor ceased his pacing and fixed a glare upon the tiny woman. "That is not helping Martha."

"Well, something has to, because like it or not we are here until Amy delivers safely." She folded her arms for emphasis. "And if you try to leave us here for any reason, I am pretty sure you will have more than an angry red head to deal with. "

The Doctor nodded and sat back down, closer to Martha. Hands clasped, he leaned his head onto her shoulder. "This is not going to be easy for me you know." He sighed.

Martha tried not to enjoy the feeling of his momentary vulnerability, nor his head on her shoulder that seemed to give her more pleasure than she would ever admit aloud. "I know." She smiled. "I remember 1969."

She could feel him shake with a small snicker as he spoke. "Yes, I suppose you do. "

She wrapped her arm around him to bring him closer to her. "I am here Doctor, I will be with you the whole time. We will get through this. Just like we did in 1969."

This time was an accident though." He asserted. "I swear I would never have done this to you this planet is harsh for humans. They have plenty if accoutrements for the traveling human, but nothing for long term. This is going to be hard going I don't know how to hold it all together. For all of us. "

"I'm here, I won't let you fall.' She smiled down to him

"You never have. " he agreed.

Martha turned her head to his, "wait what d'you mean this time? They were all accidents. "

He smiled raising himself up suddenly.. "Quite right too.' He smiled before heading for the door.

"Wait, Doctor what the hell do you mean this time?" She ran after the tall man but knew the subject was closed.

For now.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

By the time the second sun set, the quartet were well entrenched into their new home. The Doctor had thought enough to bring enough provisions for the night stating they were all to go out tomorrow and find suitable food and necessary sundries for their elongated stay. "And, " he included with the usual finger wag. "And I will be going over everything that comes into this house until the rest of you know what is safe and what is not."

Rory carried the same look upon his face as he always held when the Doctor would issue out orders. Bored indignation. "So if we are splitting up the shopping, then how are you going to be in both places at the same time?" he asked folding his arms for effect.

The Doctor tut-tutted at Rory and went on. "You two" he pointed at the happy couple. "Are going to find all of the various sundries, house goods paper products, sanitary….things" he looked around the room at the two women who now eyed him with identical glares of disbelief.

Martha made a small noise and raised her hand as if in school. "Excuse me, but if they are going for those things, isn't that a bit like closing the barn door on the horse's a—"

The Doctor tch'ed her and sat down next to her. "I am sure between the two of them they can figure it out. You and I get to find out what is edible here for humans."

Martha offered him a barely concealed look of incredibility as she folded her arms and studied his features. " Are you sure that is such a safe thing, I mean how am I to know what is safe for human consumption?"

The Doctor patted her head and smiled. "Trial and error my dear." He smiled. "Trial and error"

Martha returned his affable demeanor with a look of pure disdain. "Doctor, I thought by now you would be speaking in normal speak. I am not playing human taste tester."

"Oh all right." The Doctor threw up his hands in exasperation. "I'll modify the sonic to scan for traces of human dangerous materials. But, this is really carrying this all a bit too far, isn't it?"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The problem was finding safe for consumption human food. It was not a problem to find Human cuisine, or human Chow, or even human restaurants. Establishments were big on the human trade, the problem was most of it was produced with things that would kill most twentieth century humans.

Their first shopping trip nearly ended in disaster.

Amy was a creature in the now, a smell, a faint waft of something delectable and she followed that elegant nose of hers to the treasure at the end of the rainbow. They had taken to the real market this time, not the open air one. Martha watched as the Doctor fished different objects out of his pockets for trade. He even pulled free a large piece of machinery that Martha wondered how they got into his pants in the first place.

"They want my pants." He affirmed as they brought their purchases to the front.

"Can't give them to him, how the hell are we supposed to walk out of here with our heads held high if you are pants less. " she smirked and began to inventory the items on their hover board.

"They want my pants.' The Doctor emphasized stressing the word want. "It is the only way to pay for the amount of food h=we have here." He made a sweeping gesture at the over filled hover board.

"Well, we do have to eat." She smirked.

The Doctor grimaced as he began to empty his pockets. "Dignity is out the window here isn't; it?'

Martha smiled and nodded as Rory and Amy began to add their purchases to the load. "Is he stripping?" Amy asked with more interest than both Martha and Rory felt comfortable with.

"Yup,." Martha affirmed despite her discomfort. She had realized a while ago that it was far too easy for a woman to fall for the Doctor, that his brand of asexuality made him all the more sexual.

The Doctor moved aside out of the redhead's field of vision, handing over his pants, he made for the exit and the safety of the vehicle.

Martha smiled at Rory and Amy, wondering how much Rory put up with of Amy's Doctor worship. She had seen the end result of a man playing second fiddle to the Doctor, twice. First Tom, and then Mickey. Neither of them realized the depth and width of her feelings. She had barely examined them herself.

Amy held those same feelings for the Doctor, but she also seemed to really love her husband. Martha knew what the young woman was feeling, but the stakes were far higher than she herself had ever taken them.

The Doctor broke her from her reverie. He honked the horn several times, refusing to get out and help load the car. For which, Martha was eternally grateful. "The fewer people see you in your Cookie Monster briefs the better." She smirked as she leaned across him to pop the trunk.

"Oi! I will have you know that these are priceless Graffildian prayer pants."

"They praying for chocolate chips?" Martha quirked.

"Well, that is sort of my fault. FYI, Jim Henson could really hold his liquor, and he could bluff a straight flush like a man in a mime contest."


	7. Chapter 7

**I am still plugging away at this one, its starting to congeal like yesterday's oatmeal.**

**Its getting good to me so definitely faster updates**

**Thanks to all my reviewers...  
**

The first week residing in what Rory dubbed. "The Alien Estates," the quartet began to fall into a sort of routine. Martha was always the first up; she always started the brown muck that passed for coffee on this side of the universe. It was slightly heavier than coffee and had far more caffeine to it. Amy had never been a coffee addict, thus her interest in the sludge never surpassed her appreciative inhalation of the strong aroma every morning.

Rory usually came down next, led by the nose for the magical elixir that Martha called go=go juice. They would sit at the triangular kitchen table sipping coffee and attempting to interpret the pictures on the morning newspaper.

The Doctor would wander in; having stayed awake all night he spent a lot of his time in the TARDIS that now resembled a very expensive piece of garden art. He always came in wiping his hands on his handkerchief. He always ended up at the far end of the kitchen pulling ingredients out for breakfast.

Truth be told, the damn alien could cook.

Rory and Martha would pretend nonchalance as the Doctor worked at the stove. No one really spoke in the mornings. Even the Doctor seemed to respect the silence in the mornings. He worked around the stove with a silence that Martha never would have thought he was capable of.

By the time Amy would find herself at the table, the breakfast was already cleaned up. She only wanted toast and fruit juice anyway. She had developed a fondness for a local fruit juice that had the consistency of orange juice, the color of Concord grape juice, and tasted exactly like Dr. Pepper.

The Doctor seemed to be adjusting to his new status as stationary supportive friend. He spent his nights tinkering in the TARDIS. "What's everyone doing today?" he asked sitting at the now cleared table, rubbed his hands together and grinned like a fool.

"I am still looking for something to use as wood for a cradle." Rory announced. "The trees, or whatever they are, seems to be as strong as steel. Is there any way to find out if there are some softer woods that I can work with around here?"

"That is an excellent question Rory! I believe I can find some very malleable wood not a long way from here." the Doctor rose from the table and headed for the garden door. "It's just a quick nick off and I will be right-"

"Doctor." Martha warned

For his part, the Doctor at least pretended to not hear her. He reached for his fez and headed out of the back door. "Just a tick Martha, I can pop off to good ole earth and return before lunch.'

"Doctor." Amy accused "You promised."

HE dropped his head and did something none of them would have expected. He walked over to Martha grabbed her hand, opened it and placed his TARDIS key into her open fist. The Doctor closed his friend's hand and patted it before heading upstairs to his room.

"He is like a junkie with a habit. " Rory noted. But Martha shook her head at the young man.

"He has been doing this for nearly one thousand years, at least those are the ones he admits to. I have seen him without his TARDIS for three months. It was not pretty. He is trying Rory, he really is, but its hard for him.'

Rory, never knowing when to let a thing go, especially when it came to the Doctor. Went on "Its only a few months? I mean if he is that old I don't see how a few months staying stationary should be so difficult."

"You don't understand because you can't understand. " Martha defended. "You two are coming in on the middle of the movie. This man, or alien or whatever has spent his entire life running, and lusing the TARDIS as his vehicle, but it is really a 'she' and it is so much more to him than what you two could imagine."

Rory and Amy bowed their heads "Maybe we should just tough it out here on our own." Amy offered finally, suitably chastised.

Martha again shook her head against the pity. "I don't think that is what he wants Amy. He wants to travel, but I have a feeling that is out of the question for him right now." Martha climbed the stairs and headed for The Doctor's room.

He opened the door before she could even knock. He came around and sat on the small chair against the window. He looked like a pre-teen who had just had his skateboard taken away. "I brought this back to you." She offered holding out the key to him.

"Keep it." He responded without turning to look at her.

Martha strode to his side, placing her hand on his shoulder she spoke slowly and evenly. "No one wants to see you twist Doctor, Amy and Rory feel that if need be, they can handle things themselves here.'

The Doctor shook his head and tutted. "It doesn't matter Martha. I'll not leave them here on their own.'

Martha sat in the seat next to him, her body touching his side like a well worn pillow. "Then you must decide that you are here, for the duration. No one off trips that usually take longer than even you would have realized. " she admonished. "You do have a history of not being able to fly that thing properly."

"It's been decided for me anyway." The doctor sighed heavily.

"What has Doctor?"

The Doctor rose and began pacing, angrily. "She won't budge." He fumed. "Of all the ungrateful, insensitive, inconsiderate things to do to a person. It's pretty bad when your friend decides what is best for you."

Martha felt a sudden need to defend Amy. "It's not as if she planned this to happen! She got married to the man she loved. Rory and she have decided to let you leave, you don't have to stay until the baby is born Doctor. " She emphasized the point by shoving the key at him again. "I so thought you had changed, I thought you were softer and kinder than the person I once knew."

"What?" The Doctor stopped pacing to offer his friend a look of utter confused ire. "What are you going on about? Have you not been listening to a single word I have said to you?" He advanced upon her, placing himself in her personal space, glaring down at her from his over six foot height.

She was never afraid of the Doctor. Even when he was John Smith and seemed to be a racist, pompous fuck, she still did not fear him. The way he looked at her at that moment did not illicit the fear he seemed determined to cause. Instead, Martha felt herself grow six inches. "I have listened to you Doctor, rant and rave about the indignities of being trapped without your precious freedoms." She drew a shaky breath attempting to keep the anger at bay. "But I still don't hear you saying a whole lot of anything other than how this all affects _you_."

The Doctor dropped onto the bed in a heap, hands over his eyes in obvious frustration. "Whether I whine about it or not, I cannot leave here. She won't let me."

"Amy?" Martha asked again.

The Doctor shook his head and threw himself flat on his back. "TARDIS. Not only does she love Amy and feels as if I should be here for her. She seems to think I need a vacation. She has shut herself down, none of the controls work. I can't even get her to fly across the street let alone the galaxy."

Martha's first reaction was to giggle, then laugh madly as she realized what he was saying. "IUts not funny" he pouted. "It's not funny one little bit."

But Martha continued to laugh, until they became all out hysterics. "You have been grounded then?" she asked between snickers.

The Doctor rose from the bed and threw himself back into a full pace. "It is so comforting that those who know you and consider you a friend can sympathize with you in your time of need." I

Martha sobered enough to realize that in a lot of ways, this really was hurting her friend. "I am sorry Doctor. " she spoke with barely any mirth in her voice. "I was there for 1969, remember?"

The Doctor nodded and a small smile fell across his features. "We had good times. Popcorn on Friday nights, and that old Telly, "

Martha giggled and folded her arms. "You tweaked it so we could get signal from all over the world." She nodded

"I tinker, I like to tinker. I am good at ti." He nodded with assertion.

Martha giggled again. "Remember the lady with that awful dog? The rat terrier she would dress in hand made sweaters and booties? Used to piss on the newspapers before we could get them. "

"Pissed on my leg few times, Oh how I hated that thing." He opined. "I kept thinking, one good Heprsilligal Vortbong, and that dog would piss no more."

They laughed together for a long time before they both sat on the bed, again closer than they would have admitted to each other. "Thank you for staying here with me Martha." The Doctor murmured as she stroked his shaggy head.

"Always Doctor. That is what friends are for." She nodded. "I can't think of anyone ai would rather be stuck with." She smiled

He nodded and dug into her side a little deeper. "I am so lucky to have a friend like you.' He sniffed quietly.

"Damn right, " Martha nodded. "And you need to stop being such a prat, you are making Amy and Rory feel horrible."

The Doctor nodded and smiled. "She fancies me.' She smiled.

"So did I at one time, its easily reconciled." She smiled.

"So you are over me?" he asked softly.

"Oi mate, you can't even get over yourself.'

They sat again in silence before Martha spoke. "Doctor, what did you mean about this time being accidental?"

She felt him stiffen at her side. "I was hoping you would have just ignored that bit of information."

"Have you ever known me to ignore anything?"

"Yes, no. Yes." He went on. "I seem to remember a few times you ignored your mum. Definitely didn't listen to her when she warned you against me."

"Doctor.'

"You ignored me, when I told you not to call your parents, but you ran off anyway., Saved our lives in a way with that one.'

"Doctor." Martha warned again.

"Oh, and there was that time that you completely ignored UNIT protocol and refrained from using that dreadful Osterhaagan device. Who the hell came up with that thing anyway?"

Martha shoved at him playfully, but spoke with a stern tone. "Doctor, you are changing the subject." She accused.

"What subject? I didn't hear any subject. And what are you trying to subject me to anyway?" he babbled.

"Doctor!" she fired. "What did you mean by this time being accidental? Were the other times on purpose?"


	8. Chapter 8

**Seriously, i am having way to much fun with this one. Let me know what you think, and as always thanks for stopping by. And to my reviewers...you guys are great cheerleaders!**

Rory had no sense of timing. At least as far as Martha could see.

Of course, the Doctor was happy enough to slap Rory on the back after entering the room and announcing that there was a blue guy at the door.

"He's still such a Noob at all of this." Amy huffed as they all made parade down the stairs.

"oh, I don't know.' The Doctor grinned a little s=too jovially. "A blue guy at the door can be quite alarming. Especially on Xrynth 6 where it is illegal to—"

"Doctor." Martha warned, turning to face him at the bottom of the stairs. "This conversation is not over."

"Yes it is.' He beamed. "We have company!"

Martha watched as her friend nearly skipped across the foyer to greet the rather large man with the cerulean skin tone. "You are so not getting out of this one Doctor.' She muttered to himself.

"He always does." Amy added with a shake of her head. "He never stands still long enough to face the consequences of tromping the daisies."

"Or Roses." Martha spat.

"Oooo yeah I heard of that one." She shrugged.

"Really?" Martha nearly fumed. "Of course he mentioned her, she's blonde."

Amy threw her head back and guffawed loudly. "Well that would explain why he gets calls from Marilyn."

"You mean Marilyn Monroe?" Martha folded her arms and watched the Doctor as he interacted animatedly with the large alien.

Amy nodded and went on. "Yeah, but the only reason I know about Rose is her room. Right lot of footballers she kept posters of."

"Footballers? Really?" Martha felt a smirk tip her face. "I never would have pegged her for a fan.'

The Doctor rushed over to the pair with Rory. "Ok, this is serious, which one of you has experience with animal husbandry?"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

In the end, Martha and the Doctor followed the man to the farm a few miles off the road to help with the birth of some very odd little critters.

"Doctor, I don't know nothing about birthing any alien animal babies.' Martha groused during the twenty five minute walk.

He waved her away and continued his conversation with their neighbor in a language she could not understand. That was when she knew that TARDIS really was shut down.. No more translating for them, they were on their own. She could not imagine what the Doctor was feeling; it had to be a form of blindness for him.

"Martha, are you listening to me? Honestly I don't recall you being this deficient in your attention span."

Martha blinked a few times and realized she had spaced out while he was talking to the alien, who surprisingly, answered to the name Chuck. "I'm sorry. What?" she asked finally.

The Doctor shook his head in t=disgust, and again Martha was reminded of when her great aunt would watch music videos. "You never listen to me. I was asking if you had any candy on you? Preferably chocolate. Of some kind."

"Doctor, really? You drag me out of the house in the middle of the day to rush over to the farm of people who for all we know could be having us for dinner—"

"Well that would be quite nice actually; I am getting a bit hungry. Hence my asking you if you had any snacks on you. You still haven't answered—"

"They could be having us _for _dinner." She clarified.

"Oh, " the Doctor nodded sagely. "Oh, oh no no no Martha Jones. I thought you were far more evolved than that. Really, you should stay out of the cinema! They are vegetarians; they don't eat meat, well not human meat anyway. They do eat fish, well what we would call fish. Well, they swim anyway. I guess that makes them fishitarians...wait that's not the proper word for it. In fact that is not a word at all. " he tsked tsked her and ran to catch up to Chuck.

Martha sighed and hefted her doctor's bag over her shoulder more securely, realizing that not only would it be a long day, but a long gestation indeed.

By the time they got to the farm, Chuck looked as if he would need a good sit down for a few hours, so Martha allowed him to lead her to the patient and sent him off to the similarly oddly shaped house.

"Why did he come to get us for this?" Martha asked the Doctor as they walked toward the 'barn.'

The Doctor seemed to fidget a bit and looked at something, anything other than Martha. "the house we live in, it used to be owned by the local Vet."

Martha nodded. "So where is he now?"

"He won the lottery." The Doctor shrugged.

"There is a lottery here?" Martha asked surprised. "

"Details Martha, details. Come along we must focus.' He grabbed her free arm and tucked it into his. "Honestly, you are getting quite scattered in your old age."

"Oi, watch it mate! I ain't the one pushing a millennia." She pushed the large door open and was met with a large, reptilian beast with wings and a long tail. Orange and fuchsia scales covered the ailing beast that seemed to be curled into a fetal position. The creature's breath seemed to roll forth as steam, and made the large cavernous room stiflingly stuffy.

"Um, Doctor, is that…?" she stammered dropping her bag and inching back toward the now closed door.

The Doctor giggled gleefully and wrapped his arm around her twitching shoulders. "Did I mention the patient was a dragon?" he smiled.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Once the fear of being burned alive was sedated by the Doctor's insistence that the dragon was harmless, they were kept as watchers of fields. "A completely symbiotic relationship really " he nodded as Martha prepped everything for the delivery.

The dragon snorted as she approached her, but the Doctor had climbed to the loft so that he could play labor coach. He came to her and placed his hand on her large head. "It's all right, we are here to help. I know we smell funny, but if you give us a chance, we will have you fixed right up in a jiff." He drew his sonic from his pocket and allowed her to sniff it before waving it around her. "She is almost ready Martha." He yelled from his perch on the loft.

Martha nodded and advanced upon the large creature. "Wait," she heard from above her. A thick pair of gloves hit her on the head "You will need to wear these during the delivery. Don't worry, they are flame retardant.' He waved.

"Good to know my hands will be in no danger, now what about the rest of me? I feel as if I need an asbestos suit, yeah?" she asked only half joking.

But the Doctor only smiled and offered her two thumbs up before returning to his charge.

Martha sighed and began to look for an exit hole, something that would resemble a birth canal. "You have to think outside the box on this one Martha!" she heard from above.

"Was that a pun Doctor?" she mumbled back. "And a dirty one at that."

"They don't deliver with eggs or what you are used to.' He called down in a stage whisper.

"Then maybe you should be down here and I will go up there and play Doula, yeah?" she called.

Again he waved her away and presented the double thumbs up.

Martha sighed with resignation and walked around the dragon. She placed her hands on the skin of the dragon and felt at the soft belly scales. Nestled within the scaly folds was a pinkish opening that seemed to be leaking thick grey sludge. "Jackpot " she called.

"Put the gloves on!" he answered back sternly.

Just as she placed her gloved hands at the lips of the opening, a tiny eg began to poke through. Translucent green flesh and soft gelatinous slime covered, it seemed to more ooze out than be born.

"Catch it!" he warned.

Martha allowed it to slide into her waiting hands, the baby was about the size of a human baby, and just as fragile. Its wings seemed to come to life in her hands., in one fluid motion, it stood up and took flight. "Doctor!" Martha yelled.

The Doctor scrambled down from his roost and quickly opened the door. The small dragon seemed to consider them for a moment then flew off.

"That's it?" she asked. But as soon as the question came from her mouth, what seemed like hundreds poured forth, all filling the room before leaving through the same door the first left through.

"Now," the Doctor smiled waving his sonic and patting the dragon. "That's it. "

Martha removed her gloves and moved toward the now heavily breathing dragon. " She is exhausted.' Martha mentioned patting her side.

"Well I should hope so. What, do you think this sort of thing is easy? It always looks tiresome." He patted the dragon's head again and whispered softly to her.

Martha began to examine the opening to make sure there were no signs of infection, "So where did they go anyway?" she asked. "Off to wreak havoc in small villages?"

"Martha, for shame!" he admonished as he checked the dragon over. "They are off to find suitable mates. "

"They were just born, how can they mate? This planet must be lousy with them then.' She finished.

The Doctor gave a long suffering sigh before going on. "No, I told you it's a symbiotic relationship. The dragons are off to find suitable homes, people actually. Human, Scarthian, whomever they find and latch on to. It's quite an honor actually. What you have witnessed here is quite rare. Not many have seen this happen, let alone deliver.'

"I hardly did anything.' Martha argued.

"That is where you are wrong. You caught the first one, taught him how to go. He learned from the imprint in your mind what is expected of him.. he will probably be off to some planet to help medically. You know, be a do-gooder like you.'

Martha smiled at his off handed comment. "Well, that was quite fun actua-" she stopped in mid-sentence, just as she had reached her hand in to clean out any remaining slime, Martha felt something sharp and needle like sink into her wrist. "Doctor," she had the time to call before the not so painful bite released its toxin into her bloodstream.


	9. Chapter 9

**I should really be in bed, but this thing would not let me sleep until it was done. Thanks all of my reviewers, and shouts to my lurkers, the numbers on this thing is crazy!**

**Mad Points to anyone who can tell me the name of the series i referenced here, lots of clues, no googling. I will be giving a test for points...JK**

It was like waking from a long night of drinking. She could hear first, but it was as if there was lead weight on her eyes, and her body moved, though it fought the actions.

"All right you," she heard the Doctor speak. "You stay right there, you have done quite enough already.' He admonished. A snorting from what Martha could only assume was her former patient seemed aimed at the Doctor. "Now you, I am only trying to help her, let me do my work."

For the briefest of moments, Martha thought he was talking to her, his proximity to her lead her to believe she was being warned against moving.

"Now I wasn't yelling at him," he went on to someone else. "Of course I am being reasonable; I realize there was no way that he would have known she would react this way."

Another loud snorting from the large Dragon, accompanied by a rustling of wings. Martha would have smiled if she had not felt as if she was at the bottom of the mosh pit. "She will be fine. I have looked at it, yes I know!"

He seemed to not be too worried; his voice was almost annoyed with a little exasperated thrown in for good measure.

Martha began to wonder why the dragon seemed annoyed with the Doctor, although in all fairness, that was the SOP for anyone dealing with the man. She wondered what the other thing in the room was. Perhaps Chuck had returned to check on his giant flying pest controller. "Doctor," Martha mumbled more to keep the dragon from eating her friend than anything.

"Ah!" You see! I told you she would be fine."

Martha felt hands help her to a sitting position, but her eyes still would not open all the way. "What the hell?" she asked rubbing her eyes.

The Doctor began to scan her with his screwdriver; she hated how comforting that sound was. If she could hear that noise, then she knew the Doctor was there. If he was there, than she was safe.

She hated that.

"Now take it easy there Martha, you have had a nasty shock, furthered by an intensely strong reaction to a neurotoxin and a rapid influx of psychic information."

Her eyes began to open a little at a time. "wait, what?" she asked squeezing her eyes shut, then all at once, forcing them open. The first thing she saw was the Doctor, face pressed close to hers; kissing distance she would have called it. "What do you mean psychic information?"

The Doctor moved away from her face, and Martha could see a small version of the dragon sitting up next to him. The gray-green translucent creature came to her then, bounded into her lap and curled up as if it belonged there.

"Martha, remember when I said they were off to find suitable mates?" he spoke in a tone that reminded her of how she spoke to her niece.

"Yes…" Martha fixed her glare on the Doctor, hands raised to avoid touching the dragon in her lap. "Oh, no no way…" she shook her muzzy head and tried to back away from the dragon in her lap.

The Doctor tsked her and grabbed for her wrist. "See here?" he asked showing her the small bite on her wrist. The two holes had somehow merged to form what looked like a figure eight. "Eternity." He answered her silent question.

Martha drew her arm closer to her face, "No freaking way. " She mumbled. "What the hell am I supposed to do with a dragon?"

The Doctor patted her head and stood up. "More importantly, what is a dragon supposed to do with you. These creatures are literally best friends of magnificent beings. Why this one chose you is beyond-"

"Oi! Watch it Doctor!" She stared down at the dragon in her lap as it stomped around on her thighs making itself comfortable. "What do we do now? I mean we have to reverse this, there has to be a way."

The Doctor stopped his mad pacing and began to wring his hands. "Right then, sorry. So what we need to do is get the old girl here stitched up and comfortable."

"What we need to do is find some way to undo this whole thing." She added, pointing to the now sleeping dragon. "I mean, how the hell am I supposed to raise a dragon?" She looked at the Doctor who merely shrugged and continued to work on the mother. "What do they eat anyway?"

The Doctor didn't answer, just moved around the dragon making soothing sounds." Doctor?" she asked again, trying to get his attention. "What the hell am I supposed to do with this?"

The Doctor patted the large dragon's shoulder, pocketed his sonic and offered her a smile. "Name it."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"I take it you are not a fan of Robert Lynn Aspirin then?" Martha asked as they walked back to the house. Chuck seemed pleased with their and agreed that the baby dragon was more than fair barter for an afternoon's work.

"Fan, schman" he groused. "You take someone to planets that change their life, give them a new perspective on their writing, the least they could do is thanks you. Last time I went to see him; he had me sign some document from his lawyer about how he came up with the ideas without any 'interstellar' help."

"I loved those books when I was little, read them a hundred times. Never thought I would have my own dragon. This is insane."

"There's a nice name that would work for him. Insane. I like it." The Doctor feigned.

"You just don't want me to name him Gleep. " Martha smiled.

The Doctor seemed to cringe at the name. "I met the real Gleep, little fire starter set my scarf on fire."

"Scarf?" she asked, tucking the little monster into her a little deeper.

"Long story, well, long scarf. I was a different man then." He smiled. "Taller, with wilder hair."

"I would have liked to meet him, would have liked to meet all of you, everyone you have been." She smiled. "So, tell me about Mr. Scarf, what number was he?"

The Doctor seemed to brighten; Martha could not help but laugh at how animated he got talking about his former self. There were two things the Doctor loved, talking, and talking about himself. His voice made Martha forget her worries about being saddled with such a great responsibility. While she had finally accepted the idea of taking the little critter home with her, she could not help but twist in her mind how to get out of it.

"So we had to go to the pyramids on Mars. Did t=you know there were pyramids on Mars?" he asked her

Martha smiled and shook her head, the Doctor didn't need any encouragement to go on, he was off on a tangent about Sarah Jane, and the Brigadier in a kilt.

"You loved her, didn't you?" she asked as they walked.

The Doctor raised his head to the sly and sighed deeply. "It always comes back to this for you doesn't it? You humans, I suppose it's why I have cared so much for your kind over the years."

"Way to sound superior." Martha accused.

The Doctor did not answer her, merely looked at her as if she were to grow another head at any point in time. "I know how you have felt for me Martha, don't for a second think I have not, but you have to understand, what you quantify as love is so very different for my kind—for me."

"Then explain it to me." She nodded.

The Doctor laughed loudly, a sound that carried over the plains of aqua colored grass. The sound seemed to set off a wave of motion against the turquoise sea. "Now? In this little walk?" he sobered quickly and asked her. "Do you have any idea how many times I have been married? Well, what you would call married."

"You do that a lot; place a distance between yourself and others by claiming differences. What I see are a lot of similarities."

"Visually, yes. Biologically? Yes. But the differences stop at some point Martha, at some very large points indeed."

"But if you felt for her what she felt for you.. I just don't get why you choose to keep yourself miserable. You have these strings of companions that you share intense en=motions with and then, nothing. They are gone out of your life and you go on until you find someone new."

"That's life isn't it?" he asked smiling. "I mean I think you just nailed down another of those similarities."

Martha shook her head but said nothing; she stroked the little dragon in her arms and tried to imagine life without those strings.

The Doctor graced her with a nearly imperceptible nod. "He did. I believe if you look at it from my perspective, he still does. I still do." He affixed.

Martha cleared her throat and wondered if she should change the subject, "Doctor, why didn't you and she…"

"Who says we didn't!" he thrust out his chest with enough false bravado to make both of them laugh. "In the end Martha, I believe she was just too old for me." He shook his head. "And no, don't mean it like that. "

"What do you mean?"

"When I knew Sarah, Gallifrey still existed, no time lock, no 'last of my kind' emo, just me f=running from a bunch of stuffed shirts. I spent a lot of time running from that lot."

"Ironic isn't it?" Martha asked quietly. "All that time rebelling against someone, or some thing and now,"

"Now I have no one to show off my rebellions to.' He agreed. "They saw any interspecies interaction as wrong."

"Really?"

"Oh yes, fraternizing with Humans was likened to bestiality.'

IS that why you spent so much time running away from them and meeting other species?"

"I was exiled on earth for a time, I am sure you know all about that.'

"Yeah, there are a lot of stories about your time at UNIT."

The Doctor smiled an honest genuine smile. "So young then, I was only in my third body. I had this soaped up car. Treated Jo horribly. I was such a prat back then,"

"Was?" Martha smiled.

The Doctor mock elbowed her and came in closer to her side. "Jo Grant must have bent your ear about some of the things we did."

"That went both ways Mister, and are you fishing for gossip?" she asked incredulously.

The Doctor smiled again. "Nah, just glad that you had the chance to meet her. She was remarkable too."

"And you and she?"

The laugh again sent a wave through the sensitive hair like blue green grass. "Part of my exile had to do with my fraternizing with humans, and no Miss Information." He took his finger and tapped her nose. "Jo Grant would not give me the time of day unless the Brigadier ordered her to. She cared about me, but not like that. And I think I felt more for her than I should have."

He turned and looked at her in the eye, stopping her in the middle of the maroon colored road. "Much like with you Martha."


	10. Chapter 10

**First of all, i want to say how absolutely blown away i am by how many reviews i got for the last chapter...just WOW you guys are fantastic. It means a lot to me that others are enjoying something i am having so much fun both writing and getting to find out what happens next..**

**Secondly, i am really sorry for the short chapter so to make up for it, another chapter tonight is guarenteed. for realz**

His intense glare was making her heart skip entire rhythms. He stared into her face as if trying to gauge her reaction to his admission. "What do you mean Doctor? Are you saying that you have feelings for me?"

The Doctor shook his head as if to shake away the cobwebs of emotional entanglement. "You couldn't know what you feel for me Martha. It's the way Jo was, she felt nothing for me and I truly cared for her. You, you merely met someone unlike anyone you had ever met before. Of course you would have fell in love with me. "

Martha opened her mouth for a large round of pompous ass, but the Doctor's fingers pressed against her lips. "You know what I mean, don't you? Of course you do Martha, you have always been able to understand\me, even when I barely could understand myself. I do care for you Martha, so deeply; it led me to be a horrible person to you, but you must know it's different for me. I cannot offer anything to you that would be normal. There is nothing normal here about. Me. "

"For some that is what is so enticing. Rose. Yes I said her name; yes I brought her up in this. Rose, she had no idea there was a world outside of London, let alone the planet. One trip and she was holed. When I was my ninth self, she saw me as a replacement father. Did you ever see what a face I had back then? Shallow girl didn't start throwing herself all over me until I became _him._"

Martha shivered under the cold stare. "That must have felt awful."

The Doctor came in closer. "Well, you did it didn't you?" he glowered.

He could have slapped her across the face and it would have hurt less. He could have shot her, stabbed her, or left her at home. It would have not hurt as much as that comparison. "That I s a lie Doctor. " she evened.

"is it? Didn't really notice the dorky little wall flower in that hospital room a few days ago, now did you?"

Martha had no idea how to respond to him. There was no way to know the depth of insecurity that this man actually felt. He was in many ways, jealous of his old self.

"The truth is Martha, a man like me, a person like me, can never be sure if someone is pining for the person, or the mystery.'

Martha merely nodded her head and swallowed. The doctor turned again and began walking. "Hey! She insisted trying to speed up to him while not disturbing her new charge. "Hey, you think you can just throw something like that out and walk it off? Oh no, no way what did you mean by all of that?"

The Doctor turned on her so quickly Martha had no choice but to back up and glare. "You have no idea what it's like to be me." He spoke slowly, evenly and with a weight that dragged each word through the mud. "You have no idea what it's like to be alone. All Of The Time. "

Martha could say nothing, she knew he was driving at a point, but she was sure he was also on the verge of admitting something to her, and himself.

"I live my life for others. All of the time, I am there when some stupid robot goes hay wire, or some furry idiot decides he needs to achieve world domination. I am there for every little cosmic hiccup, to make sure everything is in its place. Do you understand what that is ?"

Martha shook her head.

"That's right," he nodded. "Shake your head and say nothing, because the truth is you have no idea."

"Don't you dare!" she exploded, enough to make the little dragon in her arms jump and look at the Doctor as if he is an enemy. "Don't you dare turn this around on me! I aint the one walking around saying things about how I feel about you, or how we weren't stranded in 1969 on accident." She not only gained strength as she spoke, but Martha felt an anger begin to well up inside of her that she was having a hard time keeping control of. "And what of that Doctor? I think I deserve to know what you have been hinting around about 1969."

The Doctor seemed to physically flinch, he turned back around and m=began to walk as fast as he could, faster than Martha could have thought possible. She had seen him face death, destruction, loss, and his own mortality. But in this, he was a stone cold coward.

Her first gut response was to chase after him, run him down and make him talk; but Martha Jones did not get through 27 years of life by throwing down her hand at the first ante. She watched him walk away yards in front of her he stormed angry at his own vulnerability.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"What the hell is that?" Amy asked as Martha made her way into the spacious living room.

"Oh, yeah it's a dragon." She smirked, enjoying the gob smacked looks from her housemates.

It was Rory, in the role of protector of his family who made a very good point. "Is it safe to have that thing here? I mean around Amy in her condition?"

"Perfectly safe." The Doctor announced as he came down the stairs. Its only a baby, its not got its fire glands in yet."

"Good to know." Martha smirked.

"So what are you two doing with a dragon? I thought you were going off to help Chuck with a sick cow."

The Doctor shook his head and pointed at Martha, who shrugged and headed for her room. "I have to figure out what these things eat anyway." She mentioned to no one in particular.

"Amy, you might want to put on the list to get loads of fresh fruits and veggies." The Doctor yelled from across the room.

"Well," Martha yelled back. "We could do with some more info seeing as how at least one of us with sidled with this responsibility, and another of us seems to have access to infinite time and space."

"Oh yes, that is right only one of us!" the doctor retorted from across the hall.

Amy and Rory watched the small battle going on upstairs like spectators at a tennis match. If one spoke, the other answered in an equally childish manner.

"Are they dating?" Rory asked w=his wife, still watching the verbal teather.

"Nope," Amy answered equally enthralled with the couple.

"But they are fighting.' He insisted,.

"Yup." The red head nodded. She left her husband's side and started for the stairs.

"Amy," Rory whispered grabbing for her arm. "Whatever is gong on, we are probably best to stay out of it. "

Amy shook Rory's grip loose and continued for the stairs "You don't know him like I do.' She insisted. "I am going to go talk to him, see what is going on. "

"So you think that is such a good idea, given the fact that you sort of have a crush on him.'

Amy stopped dead in her tracks, she turned her blue eyes upon the man at the bottom of the stairs. "That is not true."

Rory stood firm, held his head high and spoke his mind. "It is. And I cannot help but wonder how you are going to feel when the truth comes out."

"What truth?" Amy feigned.

"You don't see it do you?" he asked seriously/ "But when you did my little wife, I worry how it will affect you. " He grabbed Amy into a hug and led her to the large sofa. "Leave them to it Amy, have you ever known the Doctor to talk when he doesn't want to."

Amy smiled happy for the subject change. "I have never seen him stop talking."

Rory grinned and put his arm around her. "Let's watch one of these movies I stole from Martha's collection. " He dug out a copy of Ladyhawke "OOOo This is one I have not seen in ages. "

"Still he seems upset; I should go and see what is bothering him."

"What is bothering him is the same thing that is bothering Martha. They will go to their separate corners and wait for the bell to ring to signal round two."

Amy looked up to the loft landing where both doors remained shut with the silence between the rooms as loud as two cats mating. "I wonder what got the two of them at each others throats? Do you think it has to do with that dragon?"

Rory grinned and shook his head. "No Amy. I can't believe this is just going right over your head. " he pressed play on the remote to start the movie. "Here, let's watch the movie, Notice Rutger Hauer and Michelle Pfieffer, that ought to clue you in."


	11. Chapter 11

**I continue to be absolutely gob smacked by the response to this little fic. Thank you seems to be so small, so i give you a longer chapter with a little something extra...ahem**

**This is going to be a long one, i hope no one objects...and the chaps will be longer from here on out**

**I hope that is ok (wink)  
**

The quiet in the house was driving everyone insane.

The Doctor and Martha did little more than pass surreptitiously suspicious glances at each other. Dinners became reminiscent of Sunday dinners at the Jones home toward the end.

Amy, having allowed a small inkling into her consciousness about what was going on between the Doctor and Martha, seemed angrier at both of them than she could rationalize.

The mornings of serene placidity had been replaced by three people who went out of their way to avoid each other, and Rory in the role of the despondent offspring watching mom and dad fight. Now, Martha still came down first, but far earlier than before. She fed Gleep and took him for his walk in the back yard. By walk of course, it is understood that he would fly around for about an hour while Martha drank her coffee and 'read' the paper.

Rory still came down second, but just in time to see Martha take Gleep in for his clean up. He missed the silent conversations he and Martha would have while the Doctor made breakfast.

The second week of their residence at the Alien Estates, was a far more silent and subdued affair. Rory found himself hoping that the two of them would figure things out on their own; he had his own troubles to deal with.

The Doctor spent a lot of time in the shed out back, sometimes Rory would watch him walk over to the blue box, put the key in, and curse silently at the locked door. Apparently, his TARDIS had decided his life for him. Rory wondered how much of the box's sudden stasis had to do with the Doctor's relationship with Martha.

Amy had figured it out on the second day of silence. It was as if a light had been switched on over her head. The quartet had sat down to dinner only because no one else wanted to cook and Amy had a real talent for home cooked dinners. The tension between Martha and the Doctor was so obvious even Gleep felt it. The tiny reptile sat between Martha and The Doctor, eyeing the Doctor suspiciously during each meal.

Martha had become more attached to the little beast than she had imagined. In many ways it was like having a child. He expected her to feed him every morning, take him out to play, and give cuddles. Gleep was a wonderful little dragon, though surprisingly quiet. She had expected him to raise a fuss at things, but he simply nudged her hand, or took her blankets in his mouth and pulled to wake her.

"You are a bloody alarm clock." She groused the first morning he woke her up, tail wagging.

Gleep nodded and nudged her head toward the door. Martha wondered how much of what she said he understood. She remembered that the doctor had said that his first bite was a massive psychic bond, but she could not understand him. Could she?

She wanted to ask the Doctor about it, in fact she wanted to ask the Doctor about a lot of things, but they weren't talking.

Well they were, but it was a lot of bitter angry childish remarks. Bitter angry childish remarks from bitter angry childish people who would rather snipe at each other than to attack the real problem, they hid behind their IQ's and fought dirty.

Gleep nudged her hand again as she sat on the stone bench in the yard. It had been a week of tense conversations, and Martha was starting to worry that this was stressful for Amy, and if their childish behaviors would be putting unnecessary upon her. Gleep crawled unto her lap and nuzzled in for a early morning nap.

From her advantage, the lake was behind her, and the house garden was a good distance from her perch. This was Gleep's favorite place to fly. He would twirl and dip and fly just to touch the water with one scaly leg before flying again and spraying her with lake water.

A lone figure moved across the grounds, his stride purposeful and just this side of angry. He didn't seem to notice Martha off in the distance, and his short coat flapped in the gentle warm breeze as he moved. Martha watched the Doctor move to his TARDIS, try the lock, and pound the door once in frustration. He quickly rubbed his hand on the door reverently as if begging for forgiveness. The Doctor slid down the door and landed into a crossed leg sitting position with his back and head against the door, arms folded.

Martha felt bad for him. She knew this had to be killing him. She knew that he needed his freedom, more so than any other person or creature she had ever met. To have his own ship forbid him that freedom must be forcing him to twist a bit. And truthfully, Martha had to believe that was something he needed.

She gathered her charge into her arms and made her way over to him. He seemed to not notice her until she was standing above him. "Come to gloat?" he asked bitterly.

"I have come to be your friend." She smiled, seating herself next to him with her back to the TARDIS

He nodded and scooted over a little, petulantly moving away from her. "I don't need a friend, I need my TARDIS."

She held her free hand out to him. "Do you want me to try?"

The Doctor shook his head and sighed. "She has made her decision Martha. She has decided I am to stay here and make things right. "

"You mean until the baby comes."

"That, and between you and i." he sighed, rubbing his hands over his eyes.

Martha nodded, not wanting to affront him by insisting for more information. She had the feeling that in the early morning fog the Doctor was in the mood for confessing.

"1969 was no accident Martha.' He finally admitted. "It was in a way but it was TARDIS trying to correct what she had screwed up.'

"Ok," Martha encouraged.

He looked at her, really looked at her with those green eyes and different face. "I really liked you Martha. From the moment I met you I really liked you, you were so smart, and made me work for even my own name." he smiled at the memory.

"I felt really honestly proud of myself for a silly thing like you calling me Doctor. She knew." He banged his head up against the blue box. "The ancient old thing knew how I felt about you. And she agreed with it. Thought I needed a break from playing deity."

Martha nodded, but inside she could hear about a billion different silly love songs playing in her head all at the same time. "So is that why she sent us to 1913?"

"It was supposed to be 2013." He shook his head in irritation. "We were supposed to go to America, in 2013, a nice little quiet existence. I think it was her intention to give me another hundred years."

"She has done this before?" she asked.

"No , well sort of it's a long story. Martha it was her intention to send us off to have a life together, set the watch to open automatically on a certain date, long after your death."

"Oh, I see." She didn't not really but anything to keep him talking at this point.

"I think she meant for us to have a life there on Earth Martha, you and I. She assumed you would have stayed with me no matter what."

"True Facts." She grinned.

"Yes, well. Barring blond nurses." He smiled.

Martha shrugged but felt the old familiar pain reside somewhere in her heart. There was always that feeling of being the second choice. He could have been with Rose, if only. He and Rose would have had a life, if only.

"TARDIS would have never left me in Rose's hands." He echoed her unasked question. "She loved Rose, but Rose would have tried to destroy the watch, she was always on about forever. She never understood forever is a matter of perception."

He took her hand in his and leaned into her. "You understand Martha. How fleeting this life is. I know how bad things were when you walked the earth. I know you of all people understand that forever is a concept for fairy stories and Let's Pretend.

Martha tried to smile but somehow it got lodged in her throat. "So she wanted you to what? Take off a century and try a normal life for a while?"

"It's nearly a requirement." He nodded. "No one to love leaves you with a disconnect for life on a whole. How can anyone be expected to save something that they cannot feel for anymore?" he looked at her with all the earnestness of a man telling the truth—finally. "It was the perfect opportunity Martha. The Family was chasing us, I had to hide out, and I needed a reality check. But, something went wrong when I set the controls. She got bumped into something. One little number difference and we were trapped there. She could not risk another flight with the Family on our heels. But she did n=try to make it up to you."

"1969?" Martha asked

The Doctor laughed, "No Martha, that was my attempt to make things up to you. I knew that we would have to go there, remember the woman who stopped us on the way to the migration?"

She nodded, she remembered. She remembered being thoroughly pissed that yet another blond had crossed his path and distracted him.

"Sally Sparrow." She gave me all of the information about our impromptu exile. I knew it was to happen, and I wanted to give you three months of domesticity. It was all I could offer." He shrugged

Martha nodded. "Not exactly intentional if you were avoiding a paradox."

He shook his head. "But we had a good time, I mean we were as if we were married." He smiled.

"Well," Martha corrected with a quirk. "Not quite."

The Doctor smiled and patted her head. "Quite right."

They sat together in the early morning as the second sun rose on the far horizon across the lake. "Its green plasma hull cast crazy light across the sky. "This is really beautiful." Martha said.

The Doctor grabbed her hand again and squeezed tightly. "Not half as much as you."

"Where are we going with all of this Doctor?" she asked, afraid not to ask, but afraid to hear and answer as well.

"Where would you like this to go Martha?" he answered, eyes boring into her skin. "I am sorry for accusing you of being like Rose, but before I go any further here, I need to know, how do you feel about me? I mean this me. Or the last me, or any me you may have met."

"You are rambling." She accused.

He nodded. "I am, but I need to know that there is a chance we could have something, and I realize its tentative at best. I realize that at some point in a long enough time line everyone's survival rate is zero. But I would like the chance to see where we can go. I don't think I could really try this with anyone else"

"Doctor,"

"I just would like the chance to see if we could have that vacation, or maybe something. Oh this is silly. I should just get up now, b=go back to my room and pretend this conversation never happened

But he didn't get up; even when Martha called his name again he continued to prattle on. "The thing is Martha, how could I not have fallen for you? Shakespeare found you irresistible, and who am I to argue with a genius?"

"Doctor." She grabbed his lapels and drew him close to her face. "Shut Up." He did, at least long enough for Martha to place her lips over his. "Well," she smirked after coming up for air. "Now I know how to render you speechless. " she laughed. "Hope that answered your question, or series of questions. "

The Doctor nodded dumbly then moved his face to hers. "Let's check the experiment Dr. Jones, make sure that the results are the same this time."


	12. Chapter 12

**Nice Long Chapter, get it while its hot...Thanks for all of the reviews guys, that cheering is awesome!**

The two of them walked back to the house, with Martha holding Gleep, and the Doctor smiling with his hands clasped behind his back. They both realized there was more to say, more to admit, but for now, in the still fresh morning air. It was enough for the two more-than-friends to be near each other.

Martha was no fool. She realized that this was not going to be easy, not only because he was different than before, but also he was fundamentally different. She doubted there would ever be the white picket fence or the two point three children. But as it stood, it was enough to know that he cared for her, at least enough to want to see where they would go.

Together.

Rory noticed the difference right off, he smiled as they loped up the garden path toward the rear door of the house. The Doctor leaned into Martha's space as she spoke, and they shared a laugh that seemed more intimate than before. They were heading back to the house, but they were obviously in no hurry to get there. Rory was honestly happy for the man, for both of them. They seemed to have so much between them, both good and bad. Rory worried about Amy and how she would take the news.

"Well, looks like they are talking again." Amy shrugged.

Rory looked at his wife, dumbfounded at her naiveté. "You do know they are dating now, right?" he asked delicately

Amy guffawed loudly and turned back to the kitchen. "Don't be ridiculous Rory, of course they are not dating. The Doctor doesn't date. "

"How do you know?" he asked.

"Trust me," she called over her shoulder with a flip of her red hair. "I know. And even if he did date, Martha is not his type."

"Wait, you just said he does not date." Rory corrected.

"I did, and he doesn't." she nodded.

"But, how can you even know if Martha would be his type or not. They have history, and I think they look great together. " He smiled at the image of the couple taking turns chasing Gleep around the back yard. Gleep seemed to enjoy playing aerial keep away from the Doctor, but did allow Martha to catch him a few times. "Looks like you got some competition there Doctor." He smiled.

"I don't know what you are on about; they are not seeing each other. Old friends, they used to travel together, I mean that has a lot of history itself. " Amy justified.

"Right,"

"Traveling with the Doctor can be an intense experience Rory. You have seen what its like, trouble, danger and running."

"Always so much running." He agreed.

"Lots and lots of running. Good thing we took this time, I could not imagine trying to run eight months pregnant." An odd look crossed the young woman's face.

"Amy?" he asked. "Are you ok?"

"Yeah. Yeah I'm fine." She walked into the kitchen and began pulling items out of the purple fridge for lunch.

It hit him, harder than he had thought. With all of the excitement, and changes, and new experiences, he had not once asked Amy how she felt about being pregnant. "Amy." He asked, placing his hands on her shoulders. "I know this was sudden, and i know we didn't plan to be in this situation so quickly."

Amy nodded and leaned into her husband.

"I just, want to know if you are ok with everything. How are you feeling about all of this?"

Amy turned to face him, placed her arms around his waist, laid her head on his shoulder and cried. He brought his hands to her hair and gently shushed her against her ear. "I am happy." She sniffed defiantly. "I just, I don't know it's hard to be here and deal with this. I mean, our parents don't know they are about to become grandparents now."

Rory nodded. "We can call them." He offered.

Amy shook her head. "Not now, I am still processing everything. I need to be able to help them process and it's going to take a lot of energy to be able to help them process this one. "

Rory pulled away from the hug and tenderly ran his fingers along her jaw. "It'll be all right Amy. The Doctor swears this is a quiet planet. We can hang out here until the baby comes. We need to let everyone know to share in our joy. "

"And what if they insist we come home? Rory they think we are in Asia with Peace Corps."

Rory nodded. "then we tell them we have a job to finish, and we will return as soon as possible." He smiled. "Are you happy Amy? I mean is this going to be ok for us?"

Amy made a small noise in the back of her throat. She opened her mouth to answer him just as the back door slammed to laughter. "Amy, Rory, we're back." The Doctor sing songed.

"And, we didn't kill each other." Martha added with a giggle.

"Well let's not be too hasty Martha, its early in the day yet." He smiled kissing her hand. "But, I feel as if we need to have an outing. Who is up for the market?"

Amy fixed a hard look upon the Doctor, who still held Martha's hand in his. She huffed and made for the stairs.

"Amy, wait." Rory yelled, following the path his wife mad.

"I didn't think she would react quite so strongly." He sighed.

"Well, what did you expect Doctor?" she asked quietly. "You are not an easy forget."

"She kissed me, practically a mouth rape." The Doctor rubbed his face with the memory of the incident. "She wanted so much more from me than I could give. "

Martha turned to meet the Doctor's eyes. "Tell me about what went on." She asked as they made their way to the sofa.

He told her about how he met Amy, as a young child, as a troubled adult. He then told her about the bedroom, where she offered and he refused. "She wanted a tryst?" Martha asked.

The Doctor nodded "But she was already engaged, so I knew there was so much else going on with her. Much of it my fault."

"Because you did not come back for her."

He nodded, "She developed a rather nasty obsession with me in the years between. It was less than an hour for me, but a lifetime for her. She had to endure ridicule and psychiatric intervention because of the Raggedy Doctor."

"You." Martha nodded.

The Doctor wrung his hands, a habit that Martha noted distinctly this incarnation's; she found it both endearing and unnerving. "I wanted to help her. She has been a good friend to me Marhta."

"You have always had close friendships with Red Heads " She smiled.

"Donna."

"Donna."

"Have you seen her? I mean lately? How is she?" The Doctor was both pleading and excited for any news about his dear friend.

"She is fine. Just had her first son. Still married, deliriously happy. I met her again you know."

"That is not safe Martha." He warned angrily. "She cannot remember anything of her time with me."

"She barely knew me Doctor. Besides, I liked her. She is funny and brash and so happy to be a Mum now."

The Doctor placed his elbows upon his knees in classic thinking stance. "She is happy?" he asked after a time.

"Yes, but I was wondering, what became of Handy?"

The Doctor smiled and lay back against the back of the couch. "Oh, yes well."

Martha folded her arms. "What did you do? Send him off with Rose to the other dimension?"

"Well, yes." He admitted.

Martha folded her arms and fixed a steely glare upon the man next to her. "Really? You just sent him off as if he was unimportant."

"He wanted to be with Rose. Rose wanted to be with me. It's a reasonable compromise.'

"A reasonable compromise? You play chess with people's lives and you call that a reasonable compromise? Do you even check up on him, see how he has made out?"

"I don't need to. He has friends there, and Pete and Jackie will take good care of him."

"But he was your responsibility." Martha accused. "How can you just l=have a child and give him away like that? You profess to be the last of your kind, but you gave away the only connection you could have had to your planet."

"Child?" the Doctor seemed offended at her accusation. "He was no more my child than you are Martha."

"How can you say that? You said so yourself he had DNA from both you and Donna, in my mind that makes him your son. "

The Doctor seemed to have been hit with his own mallet. He stared across the room at nothing for a few moments before standing and making his way to the stairs. "I need to have a lie down." He spoke, not facing her.

In all the time she traveled with him, she had never known the Doctor to even sleep, let alone declare the need for a nap. "What?" she asked incredulously.

But the Doctor didn't answer her; he climbed the stairs and went into his room, closing the door behind him.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Amy sat down on the bed, arms folded. She would not meet her husband in the eye as he entered the room and came around to sit next to her. "Amy,"

"Don't ok? Just don't I don't feel like talking about whatever it is you think we need to talk about."

Rory nodded without looking at her, but determination to face this, whatever it was, between them was written all over his face. "The thing is Amy," he went on "I think we really need to deal with this.'

Amy said nothing as her chin tucked down and her attention held with the wooden floor.

"I knew that you had a thing for him. How could I not? From the time we were kids and you used to make me dress up like him…"

Amy gave him a sharp look at that, but it did nothing to temper Rory's ardor. "I love you, I think I have from the time we were eight. And, I think this is something that we should have dealt with before we got married. "

Amy shrugged silently. She continued to stare at the floor, but tears had begun to form in the corners of her eyes. "there is nothing to discuss." She insisted.

"Yes, there is Amy. I know there is. What are you not telling me?"

Amy rose, crossed her arms and walked to the door. "Nothing."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The truth was, the idea that Handy had been his son had dawned on him, more often than not. But, the Doctor always assumed, in his far superior brain, that no one else would make that leap of information. Most people would assume he was merely a clone of himself, made out of an accidental meeting and a severed hand.

Martha had followed him to his room, she always did nave a way of making him talk, even when he didn't want to. He was reminded of their trip to New New York, where she refused to even budge unless he unloaded. It was something he had never told Rose, had never had a four hour talk with her about where he came from, who he was, or why he was so alone.

Rose had always lived in the now, if it felt good, run with it. He loved that attitude about her, that she was never bothered by things that happened to him before she met him.

Well, except for Sarah Jane.

It never occurred to him that she would be jealous of Sarah, mostly because he foolishly sdid not think that Rose would notice how he felt about her.

But she did, and greater distress? Sarah Jane had felt the same way about him. To realize that he had had a chance to be with her at some point placed a heavier chain upon his soul.

That was the point that TARDIS had begun to really push the idea of a vacation for him. But he fought it, and he knew that as long as Rose was with him, she would never make him do it. He loved Rose, but he knew that deep down, she could not be trusted to do something that would eventually cause him to disturb her idea of forever.

Rose would have trapped him upon Earth forever, and TARDIS knew that. And, with that, the Doctor knew he was safe to travel for a while. He knew when she put her foot down about it, she would strand him, but he had ways to get out of it, had before.

But when Martha came along, it was the first time since after the Time War that he really started seriously considering it. He knew he should have down it sooner after the war, but his heart was so broken and his mind so shattered, he would have been no good to anyone.

But, where Rose came into his life at the perfect time to start to heal, Martha came into his life at the perfect time to start to live.

She was smart, and beautiful, and challenging. She seemed less concerned with her hair style, and more concerned with others. She reminded him of Grace, another human doctor that affected him, that he had fallen for.

The Doctor had had every intention of going to be with her, before he was called back to Gallifrey for the war. When he met Grace, he wasn't himself, he was something different. Her interference into his regeneration, and cause of it, had marked her to him for the entire time in his eighth body.

If he had to be truthful, he was in love with Grace, and it was Rose who reminded him of her physically. She was blond, small and determined.

It was what he needed at the time, but once she was gone, he realized he needed to keep going. It had been a long time he spent alone after Rose. Kicking from one hostile takeover to the next. It was a time where it was a lot like his time in his eighth body, without a companion, he was far more dangerous. Donna knew that, right off.

Royal Hope hospital, when she accused him of running through the streets of London, he knew then she would go with him. As he got to know her that day, he realized why he had taken off his tie in front of her, or would.

She was what he needed.

Martha's hand on his shoulder brought him from his reverie. "I'm sorry' she offered before sitting in the chair next to him. "I didn't mean to accuse you of anything, or bring up anything nasty that you could not deal with."

The Doctor placed his hand over hers and patted it. "No harm." He admitted. "This is something new for me Martha, at least it feels new. Do you understand?"

She nodded as her fingers wrapped around his. "Its new for me too you know."

He smiled again. "Yes well." He cleared his throat and continued. "This is going to be difficult, you know that right? We are coming from vastly different cultures. I don't know if this is even possible.'

Martha's face fell, but in an instant she covered. "Do you want to back off then?" she asked proud of the strength in her voice.

HE fixed a confused glare upon her. "Are you insane? Have you not been listening to me. Honestly Martha if this is going to work at all you are going to have to work on your listening skills. "

Martha opened her mouth to go in on him, but the glint in his eye gave her cause to smile instead. "Oh, you. I see this is going to be a roller coaster ride, yeah?"

"It's the only way to go Martha Jones." He smiled.

He squeezed her hand and placed a small kiss upon it. "Now, I promised you a trip out this morning, did I not? Or were you listening then?"


	13. Chapter 13

O **am snowed in! So you know what that means, right? Fanfic! I got this chap today, and if i am not able to go to work, another chapter tonight. got it all planned out in my head, just have to write it. Pray for more snow guys! Oh and seriously? the reviews are so wonderful i cannot thank you all enough for all the super kind things that have been said about this little fic. thank you guys, i love to be cheered. keeps me warm in the blizzard Flames will feed my fire so, woot a win win sitch!**

He stepped around the TARDIS, still holding the hand of the tiny woman. The small winged creature followed closely at the feet of the dark skinned woman, who presently laughed at something the brunette on her arm said.

Amy watched all of this with the eye of a woman who had been at the party but was sent home for an early bedtime. She stood cross armed at the patio door, watching the Doctor woo Dr. Jones. It had not been a far idea that she had longed to be the woman on his arm, but she had somehow always known that it was just never to be.

She wasn't sure if she should cry or grow up. Rory would have her forget the whole thing, be a happy little mother and move along from this infatuation. The Doctor would have her just follow along beside him as a happy companion. But how could she when he had been at the center of every fantasy she has had since she was eight?

Rory again came behind her; again he grabbed her shoulders as if to offer her strength. "I'm fine." She insisted through nearly clenched teeth.

"It's not as if he is rejecting you, Amy." Rory soothed.

She both hated and loved his ability to reach right into her head and pull out exactly what she was feeling. It was that ability that now led her to turn into his arms out of guilt. "I married you." She sniffed.

"You did." Rory nodded.

In the week since their first hand holding session, their first announcement at the dinner table, their first going out and sitting in the garden as the second sun set; Amy learned what it was to be the kid at the window without an allowance. "It just feels like I am losing my best friend."

"You should talk to him about it then." He pulled her closer, noting that in this instant this was his entire family, as close as they would ever be, encircled in his arms.

The Doctor and Martha entered the kitchen in laughter and affection. Martha had to grab Gleep, who still could not understand why he could not fly in the house.

"He doesn't like me, Martha.' The Doctor insisted as Martha grabbed her irascible pet from alighting upon the Doctor's head.

"He likes you fine, you just need time to get to know each other."

Quick as lightening, the Doctor had his sonic out whirring around the head of the small dragon. "What are you doing?" Martha accused moving Gleep away from the alien device.

"Making sure his fire glands have not matured yet." He announced with a serious air.

"See," Martha wagged at him, "This is why he doesn't like you."

"And, that is why I want fair warning when he is armed."

Rory loved their easy manner, watching them made him happy he had Amy, but sad for the way she seemed lately. As a nurse, he knew much of it was due to her hormones. She would take a little thing and turn it into the most serious matter ever.

But the joy at her starting to show was n=more than what he thought he could bear. Just this morning she realized her favorite jeans were off the rotation. He could see she was slowly acclimating to the idea of having a baby, but the doubt and fear still hung around her eyes in buoyant permanence.

"You two have fun out there?" he asked by way of small talk.

As usual the two looked at each other and smiled. "We are trying to teach Gleep to fetch.' The Doctor announced.

"_You_ are trying to teach him how to fetch, _I_ on the other hand realize that he already knows how to fetch and does not deign to lower himself to canine tricks." Martha cradled her dragon and took him off to the room to get cleaned up.

The Doctor rubbed his hands together and headed for the kitchen to start lunch. "Rory," he began from the fridge. "I think I found somewhere to get some softer wood. Perhaps you and I could go there later? You will need to get started on that cradle sooner than not."

Rory nodded and came closer to the Doctor as Amy made her way to the living room and the wall sized television. "That would be awesome. I really do feel like I need to do something while we are here, I mean other than keeping Amy safe and sane."

The Doctor rose from the fridge, arms full of sandwich items. "How is she? Has she talked about how she feels about everything?"

"By everything you mean your new relationship status? Then no she is not alright, and yes we have talked and I think she is trying to deal with it."

"You know about that then?" he asked placing the food on the counter.

"How could I not? It's fairly obvious. Much like my general dislike of you over it."

"I never encouraged her Rory. She is a wonderful girl, but when I met her she was eight and I was going through a very strange time in my …life." He offered the young nurse an odd look sudden;y. "What do you mean dislike? You dislike me Rory?" he asked coming in close to Rory.

"Well, my wife does have the hots for you." He shrugged

"But, you do realize that it was one sided, right?"

Rory shrugged again, on one level he understood, but it still felt somehow the Doctor's fault, as if he should have controlled her chasing him.

The Doctor continued to stare at Rory, the silence between them seemed to stretch into hours. "I think she needs to be checked. Martha is a doctor, I think the best thing to do is to take her onto the TARDIS and make sure that everything is running smoothly."

"Oh no! No way are we stepping foot onto that improbability drive! What happenes if it takes off without anyone moving anything."

The Doctor waved the question away. "Oh don't be ridiculous Rory, it will be fine. Besides, TARDIS has locked me out of the controls; I can't take off either by accident or on prurpose. And besides, even if I wanted to, the risk of implosion is far too great."

"And the danger to the baby, right."

"Oh, yes, well that too." The Doctor threw off handedly.

"Wait, I thought she locked you out, wouldn't let you back in."

The Doctor turned on Rory again. "Have you been spying on me?" he asked evenly.

"Kinda hard to miss you running up to that thing every morning with a key, like a kid waiting for an estranged parent to come home." He could not help the small smirk spread across his face at the Doctor's apparent discomfort.

The Doctor nodded before turning back to his culinary duties. "We should get her to the TARDIS this afternoon, have her checked out, and then you and I can go for that wood before it's too dark. Don't want to get caught out there in the deep woods after the second sunset, now do we?"

"Why? What is out there in the dark?" Rory asked.

"Oh." The Doctor went on "You know."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The TARDIS hummed sweetly as the four entered her for the first time in four weeks. She seemed happy for the company, and the Doctor seemed happy for the fact that she was talking to him again. He patted the console under the watchful eye of his three companions.

They followed him through the darkened halls to the infirmary, where Martha donned her white coat and the Doctor made himself scarce, something about checking for more bartering materials.

"So how are you feeling Amy?" Martha asked after she had her on the table.

Amy shrugged and examined her nails.

Martha sighed and dragged out the ultrasound like machine. She knew that there was a level of resentment from the young woman, but Martha really liked her, and felt like she needed a friend as much as Martha did. They were to be confined together for another seven months, and if something didn't change soon, it would be an interminably long seven months.

Rory and Martha seemed to share in the excitement as they got a view of the small nugget that was growing. Martha checked her heartbeat and proclaimed that everything was running as it should be.

Rory smiled and hugged a disinterested Amy. Martha hugged both of them and pretended to not notice Amy's cringe.

She decided that this had to come to an end, it was bordering upon unhealthy.

Rory must have caught something in her eye, because he nodded and looked down at his wife. "I am going to go check on the Doctor. I will go get him. Be right back." He ignored her look of absolute horror, kissed her quickly and made for the door.

Martha sat down on the table next to Amy and made a big show of sighing. "I used to be you." She started.

"Excuse me?" Amy flashed with more anger than she would have realized.

Martha just let it all slide off. Gleep, alerted by a dangerous tone raised his head g=from his basket as if to ask if he needed to get her back. A small hand gesture eased the little lizard enough for him to lie his head back upon the edge of the basket, but he kept his eyes fixed upon Amy. "I used to live in Rose's shadow. He was so hurt by her loss that he mentioned her, probably too much. Always comparing me to her, making me feel like less of a person because I was not her; I started to hate her. "

Amy nodded but still would not speak, so Martha went on. "As time went on I finally decided that no matter how I felt about him, I had to go with my life, I had to live it for me, no thim, and certainly not in spite of her."

"But, you got him in the end, didn't you?" Amy bit.

Martha sighed again and rubbed her eyes with one hand. "The point is I went on Amy, and I met Rose, and she was a really nice person. She was worthy of his affection, what she did not deserve was me feeling like I had to hate her because of something I felt I had every right to. I didn't love the Doctor right off, I was infatuated with him. He was smart, and handsome, and manic and unlike anyone I had ever met before in my life. He took me places that I never even imagined could exist. I was gob smacked."

"He has that effect on people. " Amy nodded, "He showed up in my yard, TARDIS all jacked up. Clothes in complete disarray. He was a disaster.'

"That must have been right after he regenerated." Martha nodded.

"Yeah, he mentioned something about that. I was eight years old, and he insisted on me feeding him."

"Really?" she asked completely interested. Martha knew next to nothing about his regeneration. She had never been in on one except for the hand and that had been word of mouth.

"He um, he was still healing afterwards. He saved my life Martha. See, there was this crack, in my wall. And right when I was praying for someone to come and help me, he did."

"He is your hero." Martha blew

"Yeah, but he left me there when I was eight. I waited for him and he never came back." Amy sniffed. "Do you have any idea to want something so bad, and to never have it."

"But you do love Rory, right?" Martha was trying to be as delicate in the matter as possible, but Amy was starting to irritate her, just a little.

"OF course I do!" Amy flared. "How could I not? Have you seen the man!" she could not help the grin that spread across her face when she spoke about Rory. "I have known him since, well forever. He was the only one that would talk to me, or play with me when we were kids. Everyone else thought I was nuts."

"Why?"

Amy sighed but felt the need to cleanse her soul. "The Raggedy Doctor. I told everyone about him. No one believed me."

"Except Rory."

"Except Rory." Amy nodded. "He would play with me. You know."

"He loves you Amy. Is it really fair to him to keep the Doctor in between you two?"

"How did you cope? I mean after you were done traveling how did you cope?"

"I just kept on keeping on I guess." Martha shrugged " I worked for UNIT for a while, got engaged, twice, Married, once. Neither one of those worked out very well. If you love Rory Amy, don't put them through what I put two good men through. Plus." She smiled handing Amy a set of five grainy but detailed pictures "Those are pretty nice first photos of someone who is really depending on your sense of fairness and your ability to keep on keeping on."

Amy eyed them but refused to take them. "Are those pictures of the baby?"

Martha nodded "You are very lucky Amy; don't think for a second you aren't. Its likely I will never have the opportunity that you have right now. "

"Yeah? What you can't…?" she asked with a gentle motion of her hand.

Martha shook her head. "No, the Doctor…"

Amy made an 'O' with her mouth and placed her hand over her still flat middle. " I never thought about it, you know? At least not as much as some girls I have known. I just. I never thought I would be having one so soon."

"Every day another miracle.' Martha smiled, and was surprised to see Amy return the gesture. She again offered the photos to Amy.

Amy took the photos in her hand and eyed Martha for the first time in a week with something less than a suspicious glare. "Thanks Martha."

Martha patted her back and scooted down off of the table. "Whoo, you are lucky to be tall, yeah? Those things are murder on short legs."

Amy scooted herself down and stood next to Martha. Without another word she reached out and hugged the smaller woman.

"Martha, Amy," the Doctor's voice rang across the infirmary. "Are you two ok in here?"

The two women parted and smiled at the intruders. "Yeah." They offered simultaneously. "We're fine."

Amy leaned into Martha and whispered into her ear. "Every day another miracle, Martha."

The Doctor came to Martha and placed his arm around her waist. "Not polite to whisper ladies." He smirked in jest.

"Just a little girl talk." Martha said. She realized that even though Amy was never going to be completely ok with the idea of her with the Doctor, at least, Amy knew that she had bigger more important fish to fry. And maybe, at some point, If they could not be friends, they could at least be friendly to each other.


	14. Chapter 14

**So here we are, moving right along...**

**You guys are so nice with the comments, really i cannot say enough about how wonderful they all are. Sorry this took so long to get out, but this chapter is...pivitol And, we're off!  
**

To say that the mood in the house improved after Martha and Amy cleared the air, well it was an understatement. Amy seemed to if not be ok with the arrangement, at least she was reconciled to the idea that the Doctor was not her property. She still considered him the best friend she had ever been in possession of, and it was that bit that made it harder for her to learn to share the Doctor with Martha.

The close quarters did little for their state of mind, though the house was big enough, far bigger than necessary in fact, the land offered i=endless treks to and fro for supplies and the odd Veterinary duty that Martha and the Doctor would share. Though, no more dragons.

In fact, Martha learned of animals great and small, on the rock they were trapped on. Five legged giant rodents who gave milk. Ten inch cows that seemed to infest buildings like cockroaches. But, made for great eating if one could get past the smell.

For three months, the inhabitants of The Alien Estates enjoyed the company of each other. At least for the most part. The tension in the air was beginning to build between two of them. Enough to raise the eye of the other two inhabitants.

"I don't see how they have not jumped each other by now." Rory shook his head one night as he caught a glimpse of theDoctor and Martha out on the stone bench in the tri-moonlight. The Three moons were not the only ones on the planet, but this time of their year, it was the three that were visible in their hemisphere. The moons loomed rather large in the distance, Rory and Amy being used to one small moon at first found the sight disconcerting.

"They are taking their time Rory.' Amy smiled trying to get comfortable on the couch. "Leave them be and come and watch this movie with me."

"Its just that, how long do you think he has gone without...you know." He turned to look at his wife. "And boy, you have evolved."

Amy shrugged from her perch. "Are you forgetting that week Marilyn Monroe spent on the TARDIS?"

"Oh sorry. Right. It's the reason I wear ear plugs on the TARDIS." He studied the pair as they made out under the night sky. "Its getting colder." He noted

"And they will keep each other warm.' She sighed, patting the seat next to her. "Come on, let's watch a movie."

"This is far more interesting. It's like our own version of wild kingdom." He snickered.

Amy waved another of Martha's movies in front of his face. "Come on, I haven't watched Starman in ages!" she grinned.

"Oo! Alien sex!"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Martha!" He breathed.

She brought her hands to his waist and intensified her kisses.

"Martha!" he insisted again breathlessly.

"What?" she crooned softly as she nibbled at his ear.

"I am trying to have a serious conversation with you." The Doctor whined.

"So am I, but I think we are speaking in two totally different languages.' She giggled and brought her mouth to his again.

The Doctor gave into her lashing his mouth with hers for longer than he knew he should before moving himself away from her. "Martha." He rose and began pacing." We need to keep our wits about us."

Martha pouted prettily before letting his words absorb into her mind. "Are you saying we need to slow things down a bit?"

"Yes, no." The Doctor stopped pacing and came to Martha on his knees. "Yes. Martha, I don't think you understand what this relationship really is."

Martha placed her hands on either side of his face and pulled his eyes to meet hers. "I understand that I want to be here, with you, that there is nowhere else in all of time and space that I would rather be than here with you."

He smiled and leaned into her touch. "Thank you for that." He breathed. "But I think you and I need to have a serious discussion about how this is all leading…" he hummed as she began to gently stroke his cheek.

"I know, I know in the three months since we have been here, you and I have grown closer, and I know that there is a logical next step in our relationship. Is that what this is all about?" she asked still stroking his face, moving her fingers to his ears.

"Yesssssssssssss…." He grabbed her hands and moved them away from his ears. "Not fair Martha, we really need to talk. "

"So," she softened. "Talk."

The Doctor groaned as he rose and moved away from her. He could feel the physical loss of her proximity, felt it in his heightened senses and knew things were near the point of no return. "Martha, I wonder if I should have ever pursued this. This is dangerous territory Martha Jones."

Her face crinkled into a mask of utter confusion. They had been seated in their favorite spot, along the small lake at the concrete bench that she usually sat at with Gleep for his morning flight. She scooted her legs under herself and folded her arms around them. "I sort of realized there would be some weird alien thing to all this. It's not as if you are some bloke from Devonshire."

"What you don't understand is that this." He made a sawing motion with his hand between the two of them. "Has far reaching repercussions. "

"So, what? sex is out of the question then?" she asked with a wry smile.

"Well, sort of." He nodded. "I mean it is possible, we are compatible, in fact, you would be surprised how many species are actually compatible. The Golarian Sprorzentaks are in fact the most easily mated species in the universe. Do you know they have seven different-"

"Doctor,"

"Right. So as I was saying, it's a very detailed thing. " He settled himself at a safe distance from her on the bench. A cool breeze had fixed in the air, and Martha wondered if this planet's winter was anything like the brutal winters of London. Or worse.

"Detailed, how? Doctor you are talking in riddles again and I thought we agreed that everything between us would be straight forward and to the point."

"Yes, right." He nodded. "But biological discussions are a bit more…hairy." He sighed. "So, we are capable of the act, and if I weren't from an infertile people we are compatible biologically.'

"So what is the issue then? What do you have penal spikes or something?""

"Penal spikes? Really why would anyone have penal spikes? Honestly Martha I think you read far too much Science Fiction for your own good." He shook his head for effect "The issue is psychic Martha. The fact is, sex is something my people don't normally do. There is good reason for it too. Back during the time of Rassilon and Pythia, we reproduced in the same way as you. But, there were extra side effects. Side effects that led to wars, political uprisings, revolutions…"

"In other words, very human actions."

"Right, yes all out chaos. Anyway, the end result was a people secure enough in their bodies to not need sex any longer.'

"Well that is boring." She frowned.

"Well, from a human standpoint I would suppose it is quite boring. But from a Gallifreyian perspective, it's completely logical." He nodded. "AS I was raised, sex was something you did to …" he made closure motions with his hands, interlocking the fingers together to bring his point home."

"Ahhhh!" Martha smiled, slapping her knee. "So sex is a deal sealer then!"

The Doctor wrinkled his nose at her simplified summation. "Well," he sniffed. "I would not have put it in such garish terms, but all right. That is a way to put it for your human mind to understand it, then yes. It's a deal sealer."

Martha giggled at the little shudder she watched play over his feature as he resoluted to her simplification. "All right then, so this is a fairly serious thing, I mean if we can't have sex—"

"Not can't," he cleared. "We don't just jump into bed with someone Martha."

She could tell he was uncomfortable with the situation. They had been dancing around this for weeks. Often, she would find herself in her room at the end of the day, trying to figure out how to turn the sonic showers in the house to cold. "So, are you telling me we can't be intimate because my brain isn't big enough?"

He patted her on the head as if to say 'silly human.' "No, quite the opposite in fact. I am trying to tell you that our becoming intimate would render this relationship with a sense of finality."

Martha let out a shocked sound before she even realized it, "You mean you lot mate for life?" she asked

"Something like that, yes. "he nodded.

"Oh no! No way mister. You are not just going to gloss over the facts. Up front and honest, remember? We were going to attack this relationships like two adults—"

"One and a half adults…"

But at Martha's serious glare, he quickly sobered and cleared his throat. "Ok, so you know that we are compatible, I mean for the most part. Handy was evidence of that."

"Didn't do much for his mum did it?" Martha muttered.

"Well, no it didn't really. But as I said before nothing like that had ever happened before."

"Had there ever been hybrids? I mean human and Gallifreyian children?" she asked

The Doctor nodded. "Oh yes. My former companion ,Leela."

"Oh, wait a minute—"

"Not me Martha. She left me for one of the other\Time Lords. I was happy for her, for them. He was a distant cousin of mine. She fell in love with him, and he her. It does happen, I mean when my planet was in existence."

"But, I thought your people were infertile?" she asked gently. "You said that they had gotten rid of the need for sexual reproduction thousands of years ago."

The Doctor nodded. "Yes, but the fact is in marriage, the bond must be made. In my culture we use the physical act to seal the two in marriage."

Martha glared at him unblinking. "So you don't have sex until you are married? Oh the Queen, I should have known."

The doctor smiled. "Yes, well being the Queen's consort was not supposed to happen.'

"It's not in any of the history books I have read."

"Do you think Queen Elizabeth, daughter of Henry Tudor, would admit to having been ditched?" he grinned.

"Doctor," Martha winked as she folding her arms. "Are you hinting at a cover up?"

They shared a laugh before he went on. "I am glad you realize that I am not coming into this as having never been with anyone before Martha. Even in this body I have been with others."

Martha nodded. "I realize that. I am just glad to be the most recent user of the current model..er will be that is." She grinned.

He slid closer to her and enfolded her into his arms. "The thing is Martha; I need to have something a little more, definitive with you." He looked across the lake and held her hand tighter. "With others, I could hold back. I did hold back. I had to. None of them..."

She placed her arm around his back and nodded for him to go on.

"None of them have affected me as you have. I don't know why that is, or if this is some great cosmic joke on me—"

"Oi!" she smiled

"I have no way to hold back with you Martha; you strip me of my reason, my good sense, and my resistances. I fear I go a little crazy around you." The Doctor turned to her and kissed her softly on the lips, a quick gentle reminder of what he really meant. "You are supposed to throw yourself at my feet with that admission.' He grinned.

"And you are supposed to say it with a little more humility than that.' She countered.

"I do love you Martha Jones. But, I think before we go any further. And believe me I want to go further. I believe there is a greater need for us to be sure that this is what we both want."

Martha let the realization of what he said sink into her "So you want forever then? Is that what you are saying?" she squeaked.

"I would like to see if the possibility of a 'forever' exists Martha." He grinned.

"But, you once said that Rose through that term around not understanding what it meant. How can you sit here and throw it at me and you know. " She took a deep breath to gather her strength to mention the large white elephant. . "You know that I am limited in my life span. Any sort of bonding we would have would be cruel on both of us. I would die centuries before you, leaving you alone without me. And you, I would have to watch you pretend not to notice that my age will wither my body."

The Doctor glared at her and then nodded. "I suppose now would be a good time to tell you of a few things."


	15. Chapter 15

**Another chapter. To my reviewers, honestly i think i love you all. Really, and to Elizabeth, you are so thorough and awesome and...clever. Oh and SadHappy, got this out before you left for work...lol  
**

He took her hand in his and made gentle swishes over the small bite. "I told you to wear the gloves Martha.' He shook his head and closed his hand around her wrist. "You never listen. When we were there, I threw them down to you and I said. 'wear these,' and if I remember correctly I was very stern about it."

"What are you talking about? Gleep? What does he have to do with anything?" she shrugged.

"You have been mated to a dragon Martha, what did you think that would entail?" he asked, not meeting her eyes.

Martha shook her head and felt a sense of dread begin to seep into her bones. "Am I going to die?" she asked in a small voice.

The Doctor threw his head back and laughed loud enough to set off a few lighting birds (or what Martha could only assume were birds, they had wings, but they also had four legs and a horned tail, so the actuality was foreign to her.

"It's not funny." She insisted quietly, fighting to keep the tears in check. "I mean, if having Gleep is going to kill me, why are you laughing."

"Think Martha," he poised his finger at her. "If the bond between dragon and mate is so strong, do you think it would lead to death?"

Martha sat quietly for a moment, never enjoying the 'pop quiz' feel to many of her conversations with the Doctor. "Well," she shrugged, not looking at the Doctor. "I would assume that its not going to kill me if you are laughing like that. But, you have been pretty closed mouthed about what having Gleep around entails. Maybe now is a good time to get that remedied, yeah?"

The Doctor nodded, reached down by her feet and took hold of the tiny dragon. "He bit you Martha, remember you passed out for a time."

"How long was I out for?" she asked.

"Oh, about an hour." He placed Gleep onto her lap and made a show of patting his head. "But, the point is that you really don't remember anything of it, do you?"

"Martha shook her head but she felt her ire begin to bubble up within her. "You should probably be getting to the point Doctor; I feel one of those headaches coming on."

"Yes, right. So, Gleep mated with you, and now you are a part of him, and he is a part of you."

"Ok," Martha frowned. "So that means what exactly."

"It means," he leaned in closer before going on. "How long do you think a dragon's life span is Martha?"

Again Martha shrugged, not sure where any of this was going. "I dunno, twenty maybe thirty years."

He patted her head again in that errant school girl manner. "Right. Well you are wrong actually. " He jumped up and began pacing. Martha noted he did that when thinking and explaining.

"So, I'm wrong, " she shrugged again petting Gleep .

The Doctor made a sudden lunge at Gleep, Martha, without even thinking about it jumped out of his way, placed her body between the Doctor and Gleep, and swung out a fist that connected with the Doctor's eye.

"Ha HA!" the Doctor crowed as he rubbed his face. "You would definitely win in an all-out death match with your Mum!" He grinned from the ground.

"What the hell did you do that for?" she asked staring at him, "What the hell did I do that for?" she asked turning her attention to Gleep who seemed to be huffing loudly in the Doctor's direction.

The Doctor rose to his feet, but stayed where he was. "Don't you see Martha?" he grinned. "I threatened Gleep, and you took action. The same thing he would do for you,"

It suddenly dawned on her that she had punched the daylights out of the man she loved. "Doctor, oh my Gosh, I am so sorry. I didn't mean to—"

The Doctor waved away her apology, and diverted from her attention. "Of course you did Martha! The instinct to protect that little Martha has now been hard wired into your anatomy. He is huffing loudly right now because he has perceived me as a threat. You will forgive me for keeping my distance until he calms a bit."

Martha looked down at Gleep, who had in fact stood upon his haunches and assumed a posture that could only mean defense. She patted his head before speaking softly. "So that is what that large psychic dump was? That was the reason I passed out for an hour?"

"That,' the Doctor spoke with a windy motion of his hands. "That, and the fact that your DNA has been altered to suit the little beast."

"Wait, are you telling me that I have been changed because of Gleep? Changed how? I mean other than the psychic stuff."

"Dragons live to be hundreds of years old. They thrive off of being of use. They need their symbiate to survive." He nodded with a pointed look at Martha.

The realization was so evident upon her face that the Doctor knew she now understood. "You mean to tell me my life span has been altered? I mean that I have to live as long as Gleep is alive."

"And vice versa. It's a survival tactic really. You humans are quite fragile, and for Gleep to live his full life, I am afraid that he has to drag you right along with him."

Martha said nothing; she stared at the little dragon as he snuggled back down into her lap, convinced finally that the threat was over. "I don't understand how that is possible." She whispered.

"Oh Martha, I could go on and on with explanation, but the truth is, it's all very scientific. Darwin would have had a field day with it.' He smiled.

It grew quiet between them, the Doctor seemed to understand that she needed time to process the large amount of information she was just given. Martha, continued to hold Gleep and looked down at her charge without moving.

After what seemed like hours, she found words, "What is to become of me?" she asked quietly. "I mean, how do I age, do I age? Where the hell am I supposed to go now?"

The Doctor again moved close to Martha on the bench, all the while eying Gleep with the trained eye of a man used to wearing a target. "You won't at least not until Gleep does. In fact, right now, you and he are technically the same age. As time goes on, both you and he will adapt to certain changes. But, the fact is Martha, you could be this way." He pointed at her face and hands. "For a very, very, very, long time."

Martha did not miss the hint of sadness and sympathy in his voice. She understood what the reality of this meant for her, her life, her family. "My mum and Dad…" she sniffed.

The Doctor nodded and brought his hands to her face. "We will figure something out Martha, I swear it. Even if it means a perception filter, I will make sure you get to spend time with your family."

Martha glared at the Doctor, "Is this why you feel as if all of the sudden that we should try for a relationship?"

"Martha, no wait..what?"

"So before, you kept me at arm's length because I was human. Now that I have become this…thing…you want to be with me?" The anger in her voice caused it to tremble, fierce tears threatened to fall over her brown cheeks. "You waited until you figured that you could stand having a relationship with me to tell me all of this? Don't you think these are things I deserved to know right off?"

"I am telling you now!" he defended.

"It's like, all this time, you kept saying how you were a different person, different body, whatever. But, the truth is, you are still the same selfish person you have always been. You are an opportunist Doctor, you saw a chance at the perfect companion, realized you would never be alone, and waited until I was fully hooked before you pounced."

"That is absolutely ridiculous Martha. I cannot believe how perfectly irrational you are behaving." He removed his sonic from his breast pocket and began to wave it around her, from a distance.

"Cut that out! There is nothing wrong with me! Other than your evasive behavior. Why did you wait three months to tell me all of this if not for personal gain Doctor?"

"Martha, what difference would it have made? Whether you knew then or now, the outcome is the same. Your life has been irrevocably changed, forever; do you think that is something easy to tell a friend? Do you think I am having an easy time telling you?"

Martha shook her head.. "The outcome is not the same Doctor. Maybe I am being an irrational human, but you're not telling me for three months is a huge difference than your telling me right away. Here I thought we were making progress, you told me you love me and-" But she stopped talking, afraid her emotions would run away from her.

"I do love you Martha…" he advanced cautiously.

But Martha was done. She brought herself up from the bench, Gleep, trailed in flight behind her. "My whole life has changed; do you even realize how much has changed for me? And you have told me that this is all irreversible…"

"Well, it's not _all_ irreversible. " he murmured.

Martha fired at him. "Oh no, that is not an option. You even think of getting close to him and I will make sure you meet then next forty faces you want to wear."

The Doctor held up his hands in deference to her ire. Martha stormed past him and made for the reaer door of the house.

"I don't see why you are so mad at me Martha." He shouted behind her. "I did tell you to wear the gloves."

Martha continued on, ignoring the man in the bow tie as she made her way to the house. She could feel, a nudging in the back of her mind, like that feeling one gets when they leave the house and know they forgot something, but can't tell what. The feeling became more certain as she realized it was coming from Gleep. "No," she told him, taking her little dragon into her arms. "Never. We are in this together you and me. For good or bad, you chose me, and I guess in a way I chose you. We are going to get through this, on our own."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Trouble in Paradise?" Rory asked as the Doctor made his way into the house some twenty minutes after Martha made her way upstairs for the night.

The Doctor ignored his friend, made his way to the fridge and pulled out a pitcher of water. "She upstairs?" he asked Rory.

It was Amy who nodded as she made her way to the Doctor. "She didn't say anything to either of us. Just grabbed a snack for Gleep and headed for her room. What happened out there?"

The Doctor turned to his friends and shrugged. "Oh My god! Amy shouted at the shiner.

"What, did you try to get a little fresh and she put you in your place?" Rory snickered.

Amy tutted as she withdrew a steak from the freezer to put on the Doctor's eye. "Ow, Amy! No need to attach me with meat!" he pushed the steak away and finished his water. "She found out the truth, and you humans always claim it's what you really want, but when you get it, there are consequences. Dire consequences."

Amy stopped her ministrations and joined her husband in a confused stare at the Doctor. "Truth?" Amy asked, "truth about what?"

Rory pressed his body against the counter ans spoke. "what, did she finally find out you are an alien?" he smirked.

"Shut up Rory." The Doctor hurled before throwing the cup in the sink and heading for the shed in back.

"What do you think happened Amy?" Rory asked.

Amy shrugged but smirked a little. "Maybe they have finally realized how incompatible humans and Time Lords are."

"That is one hell of a shiner he is sporting."

"Yup," Amy agreed. "I knew she had it in her, just didn't think it would come out so soon."

Rory shrugged and put the kettle on for tea. "I think they will work it out, eventually."

Amy sat at the table and opened the cookie jar. "It's as if we are living in the midst of East Enders around here." She sniffed.

"I was thinking more Coronation Street, with that shiner; it looks as if he survived a street fight."

"he probably had it coming." Amy grinned. "He does have a dark side."

"As close as they were earlier, it had to be something fairly big. " Rory agreed. "Maybe something about when they travelled before."

Amy shook her head. "Maybe, but if that is the case then there are a lot more fights coming. Form what I have been told, the Doctor was horrible to Martha."

"Oh, really, do tell."

And she did.


	16. Chapter 16

**You are all so wonderful with the cheering, keep it coming and as payment for such wonderful praise, a fairly long chapter, and fingers crossed for another on Friday!**

On some level she realized she was being completely unreasonable.

But how are you supposed to act in the face of life changing news. For Martha, she likened it to finding out about some cancerous growth that was inoperable.

"I got a reverse death order." She pondered to Gleep as they sat on the bed. Gleep nudged her hand and placed his small head in her palm. "Yeah, I know how you feel Gleep. Believe it or not, I am actually happy to have you around, even though you wake me up at O dark thirty in the morning."

When she opened her eyes, hours had past. The clock on her bed side read 43:67. Near new time for this planet, the first sun would begin to ebb its ease over their lake. Nights were long here, and getting through them alone was hard. Most of the time the four of them would play games, or watch a movie. They had to ban the Doctor from Scrabble, sighting his insistence upon using the most current Scrabble dictionary, filled with more than 4 million new words that the other three players had never even heard of.

Martha had a hard time admitting to how much fun she had been having here. The time they spent here reminded her of college, an extended holiday trip that was ripe with ribald humor, sharing experiences, and learning about each other. She enjoyed waking up to a new adventure every morning. The small things, watching Rory make the tiny cradle for his son; Amy had learned how to knit and was in the process of butchering an entire layette. The Doctor was working on some great and secret project out in the large shed.

The Doctor.

The nights they spent next to each other, sitting on their bench, or on the couch in their favorite corner; he would touch her more than she ever dreamed to be touched. No one, not Tom, and certainly not Mickey had ever made her feel the way he did. He smiled more in this face, easier to laugh. He didn't have this false happiness hidden behind a manic veneer. This Doctor was honest but stricken, chaotic but dear, she understood this man who wore a new outer shell. He often seemed out of place, not sure where to place his hands, but knowing he wanted to placed them upon her was far better than the actual physicality of it.

The Doctor wanted her, but was it tainted now? He did not admit anything to her until after her bite.

Well, that wasn't entirely the truth. He had alluded to it that first day in his room; he had admitted some things to her. She wanted to believe him so very badly.

Martha sighed and rubbed her hands over her face. She had never even thought she would ever see him again, had adapted to the idea of the five hundred cats and stale hard candies life. He had been so rooted into her soul she could not get free.

She did not want to be free from him.

But the same old manipulative ancient being was still there. Pompous and arrogant in his knowledge of what was best for others. He had left out so much information, important bits about her new life. If he was so keen to be a part of this new life, then why could he not tell her what it entailed?

But his touches and kisses still beat a steady phantom tattoo against her skin. She wanted him, wanted every part of him, inside, outside, all of him, at least as much as he was willing to allow her to have.

But how much was that anyway? The Doctor was not some ordinary bloke from Devonshire, as she had pointed out not an hour ago. He was an ancient being from somewhere that no longer existed. He had lived more lives than he was even willing to admit to. He was not the type to share information without there being some arm twisting involved.

But then, that was the problem, wasn't it?

Gleep made a small chirping noise and purred softly against Martha's hand. Martha petted him on the soft spot under his chin. In a lot of ways he had some canine characteristics, the loyalty being the big one.

Martha sat staring at her bite mark. "What did you do to me exactly?" she asked Gleep. As her hand smoothed down the top of his head, images came to her. Pictures of complex DNA structures, long strands of human DNA, her DNA. She seemed to understand that she was looking at exactly what had happened to her. Gleep was answering her question through some telepathic link.

Images danced behind her eyes, ancient civilizations, burning, raising, and falling. Rulers, leaders, travellers, explorers. She held the entire history of his people in the span of a minute. She understood, he needed to be needed. Martha knew what she needed to know about Gleep, he was no more her burden or charge than he was her pet.

They were together, one thing. They needed and would continue to need each other.

She felt special, separate. Honored.

She realized that there was nothing that she would ever allow to come harm to this being, Gleep had chosen her for a reason, even if she had been wearing the gloves, he would have found a way to mate with her. He had waited behind his siblings waited for her. The Doctor did not tell her a lot of things because he simply did not know. The dragon was her, and she was him.

"I guess at some point I have to accept the fact that this has changed me." She sighed to no one. "Or, well I have a long time to get used to it, don't I?"

A timid knock at her door brought her out of her reverie, she realized she was still dressed from earlier, and here it was a new day. "Come on in," she offered with a capitulated wave.

She was surprised, and surprisingly disappointed to see the resident nurse enter her room in his pajamas. "I figured you were still up, your light was on, and you are usually awake by now anyway."

"I haven't slept actually." She smiled. "Got a lot on my mind."

Rory sighed and sat on the chair next to her bed. "Amy told me some things. Things about what went on before with you and the Doctor."

Martha looked at Rory with barely concealed shock "How the hell does she know any of it. Oh if he has been telling tales out of school I will—"

But Rory raise his hand to still her tirade. "No, no Amy learned what she knows from the TARDIS."

Martha's fight seemed to deflate as she nodded "The Archives. Silly, sentimental, old girl saves everything that has happened on that ship.'

"For good or bad." He spoke, but did not meet her eyes. "Seems that most of it was bad with you, wasn't it?"

Martha couldn't deny it, yeah, most of it was bad, but she had promised to let go of it. The Doctor had apologized, all was forgiven. There were no more hurt feelings or angry accusations. "It was a while ago. Things have changed since then."

"Regardless, I just wanted to let you know that if you needed anything, or you needed to talk, I can listen. I mean, it's really no secret that I am not one of the Doctor's biggest fans."

Martha nodded, in a way she could understand why Rory felt the way he did about the Doctor, but the whole the enemy of my enemy is my friend bit seemed a bit much to her. "It's all right, we just." She sighed and found her voice catching in her throat. "We uh are going to take a little time to reconsider things."

"Bet that shiner was a lot to consider.' He chuckled with a shake of his head.

"Oh, he has a black eye?" Martha felt a wave of concern rush through her.

Rory studied her reaction. "You did give it to him, didn't you?"

"Yes," she sat back "Well, he was sort of proving a point."

Rory smiled and nodded. "That's the Doctor all right, prove a point by leading with your chin.'

"Or eye."

They shared a small laugh, something that two new friends would have enjoyed in different circumstances, but Martha could tell that Rory had something on his mind, and it was not idle Alien Estates gossip. "Rory, you came here to check on me, but I get the feeling there is something else you are wondering about."

It was Rory's turn to smile; suddenly bashful he slipped deeper into the plush chair while turning his full attention onto Martha. "The thing is." He began, "with all that he has done to you, is it really such a good idea to enter into a relationship with someone that has that capacity to hurt?"

"Rory, we have not known each other very long.—"

He held up a hand to stop her. "True, we have not, but I have known the Doctor a while, and I have seen the two of you together. I can see how you feel about him, but my question is. What happens when Amy has the baby?"

It was as if he had slapped her across the face. Of course she had considered that. Of course it had played in her head like a song on repeat. What else could she think? The Doctor did not have the best track record with sticking around. And, there was a fairly good possibility, at least in her mind, that he was using the relationship with her as a means to stave off the boredom he was probably feeling. The Doctor was not like the rest of them, he had seen everything, done everything. There was little to keep him occupied save for that shed out back.

"He's like a ten year old hyperactive kid who has not had his meds for three days."

"True." Rory added.

"Of course I have considered it Rory, and I appreciate your concern. The thing is, there are other factors at work her that you don't know about."

Rory stared at her to continue, but Martha only offered him a shake of her head. Part of her was not ready to admit to another person what was 'wrong' with her. It was as if on some level, speaking it out meant accepting its finality. "It's complicated." She said finally.

"Everything about the Doctor is complicated. " Rory accused. "I am not asking for trade secrets, or if you two enjoy a good snog."

"We do," she smiled, and smiled bigger when Rory shared the mirth.

"The point is, I know that he is a consistently temporary thing. Everything about him is temporary. He never stays in one place for long, never is one person for long apparently. Never," he turned to Martha with an unctuous glare, "stays with any one for too long."

Martha nodded to that; there was no part of his point she could argue with. He was a temporary being it was in his nature. The doctor was temporary because everything around him was in a constant state of change. The Doctor himself changed looks, but deep down, he was still The Doctor. "It is so much more than you will ever know," she shook her head. "And I am just at the very tip of understanding it all."

"You two are getting closer."

"Something like that. Listen Rory, I appreciate your concern, I really do. But, it is late, and I need to take Gleep out before I crawl into bed."

Rory nodded, rose and made for the door. She felt bad for a moment, as if she had dismissed him when he was trying to be a friend to her. "Martha, it's not as if I do not understand how you feel about him. I love my wife, and in a lot of ways they are very similar."

"I won't argue with you there." She nodded.

He smiled again and thrust his hands into his pajama bottoms. "I would hate to see you hurt. You seems really nice, and some of the things you had to put up with from him, well I would hate to see you go through all of that again."

"Its in the past Rory, we have let it all go." She insisted.

"Really? I mean have you really? Or is it just your way of trying to get along with him because you have wanted this for so long."

"You don't know." She whispered.

"No, I don't but ask yourself why that little dragon of yours seems to always place himself between you two. Ask yourself why something so obviously in defense of you, feels the need to protect you from someone who claims to love you, and vice versa of course."

Martha gaped at him as he closed the door behind himself. If she were any less mature, she would have hurled the pillow behind her at the shut door.

Instead, she did what big girls do. She cried instead.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

In any war, there were sides to be chosen.

If the two would have known about the other half of the household sharing a hot chocolate in the kitchen, neither Martha nor Rory would have been surprised.

The Doctor stared into the cup of murky hot liquid and Amy seemed to wiggle in her seat trying to get comfortable. "I don't see it.' She said finally.

"You don't have to see it, Pond. It's there and it has been there for a long time." He sighed.

"But, you never are lonely. I mean, I have never seen you pine for anyone. "

The Doctor shrugged.

Amy sighed and threw her head back. "Why her? I mean what is so great about Martha?"

The Doctor flashed his friend with a long suffering look before shaking his head and returning to his search for the bottom of his cocoa. "It's been her Amy, you would not get it."

"Try me." She demanded form behind folded arms.

"It's always been her Amy, at least since you have known me. When I met her, it was, I knew. I just knew from the moment in that hospital. I could see her time lines intertwining with mine. I thought, Well that is odd,"

"How is that odd? I mean you did take her as a companion for over two years."

"You don't get it," he fumed. "When I take someone with me, it's a whim, an 'Oh look someone I can impress, take around for a while, fix, make a better person.' A companion is chosen for what I can do for them."

"Ok," Amy nodded. "So, did I need fixing?"

"Oh Amy, of course you did. You all do" he waved her off and drank from his cocoa. "Its your nature, even the great ones of your type needed help or nudging, or to see things with a new light. Martha never needed that. I needed her."

"For what?"

"Martha never needed any fixing. She had everything figured out. I needed her more than she needed me. She could figure out things, figure a new way of solving something. Her coming with me was more for my benefit. She was there to stop me. Remind me of what humanity really was. Without her, I was a little, nutters."

"I still don't see why you need her so much." Amy dipped her head down into her chest a little. "you could have had me." She whispered softly."

He laughed at that, a great loud laugh that seemed to ring through the house. "No Amy." He smirked, "Your lines were all about Rory, and your future was with him. It was always that.' He tweaked her nose with his index finger. "Don't be sad, it was always Martha. It was always going to be Martha. It will always be her. I have as little choice in the matter as I do breathing." He sighed.

"What about River? And Marilyn?" she pouted.

"What about them? And really, I have no idea who she even is; I do know that she has some extremely complex time lines floating around her, but none of them are as intertwined as Martha's are with me."

"Are you saying its fate?"

"Fate, Fate? Next you will be talking about magic jawbones and fiery chariots burning across the sky. No Amy, I am not talking about Fate, this is much more important than that." He stood and began to clean his mug.

"What is it then?"

"Inevitability"


	17. Chapter 17

**Well Friday was a bust. FYI Cambodian food is wonderful, just eat at your own risk. To make up for it, here is the next chapter where things get..interesting. and its a long one **

"It's a simple thing really; I don't see what everyone is making such a fuss over."

The trio continued to stare at the man in the bow tie and braces.

"Well, it's not as if I planned the whole thing. I honestly came in on this at the last minute."

Still, no one spoke, but Rory did clear his throat and fold his arms.

"Look, it's no big thing. She is fine. Amy's fine." He turned to the woman near his shoulder. "You're fine right Amy."

Amy fixed her friend with an accusatory glare.

Martha sighed, shook her head and followed the others in folding her arms.

"Oh, hello. Thank you Doctor for saving the day, again. Thanks for stepping in and fixing the situation." He waved manically reminding Martha of his old self.

Gleep let out a small wisp of smoke from his perch atop Martha's shoulder.

"Wretched little…!" He fished for his sonic, only to stop in mid emerge. "Look, it's a planet that barters. Barter, I don't see what is so hard to understand about that? Were none of you listening when we first landed here three months ago? I have given my pants up for the cause, and I have not made anyone relinquish anything. But, had we not reached a compromise this could have easily gone very badly."

But three housemates continued to glare at him in identical manners and stance.

"I'm not crying over my pants! I really really think you are all just overreacting here. Who wants lunch?"

He finally removed the sonic and turned it on himself. "Nope, English I am definitely speaking twentieth century English."

"Oh don't be so over dramatic Doctor." Amy shouted, slapping away the sonic he tried to point at her. "It's me that has been wronged here. I am the one who has to live with it."

"I don't see what all the fuss is!" the Doctor insisted around the room. "It's not as if it won't come back!"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

This all started with a game of Dragon Poker.

No seriously, just like in the books.

It was actually Rory's idea, well he knew nothing of the game, but having a dragon around named Gleep, and nothing else to do, found him with a lot of time to roam the library files on his notebook, and avoiding the tension between the Doctor and Martha was definitely a plus.

"I don't see why you don't just go get the books out of the library." The Doctor fussed, but no one amended to him the fact that the TARDIS had been deemed off limits for everyone except for Amy's prenatal exams, and then everyone onto the ship and had a time of it for ran hour. Amy got her checkup, Rory pilfered books and anything else he could find. While the Doctor often made himself invisible, making several very clandestine trips back and forth to the shed.

Rory sat down with the first Myth book and sailed through the entire series.

It was at dinner after he finished the last book that he asked the Doctor about dragon poker, and if the game really existed.

"Of course there is!" the Doctor insisted, slapped his hands together and laughed. "Asprin that cheeky bastard! He learned that game from me,, then taught it to Henson. It's how I lost my last pair of pants." He grumbled.

"So, it seems interesting, how do you play?"

"Well there is a specific deck of cards that must be used," he started. For the next hour, the Doctor explained how to play Dragon Poker.

"Do you have one?" Amy asked, interested in anything to stave off the rampant boredom she had been feeling.

The Doctor grinned big and produced a large deck of cards from one of his pockets. "It was one of the things I grabbed at Amy's last checkup/" he admitted. "We need to do something around here for fun."

Martha leaned in closer to the Doctor to examine the deck. "Looks Elfish" she frowned.

"Well, I would not say that to an elf if I where you. They are very sensitive about the distinctions."

"So, how do we play?"

"Well," the Doctor launched. "It's very much like regular poker. Well, there are a few distinct differences. First off there are six rounds of betting."

The dialogue went on. The Doctor explained the different suits, a=hands and rules. Everyone was in until he got to Conditional Modifiers.'

"Wait," Rory held up a hand. "Every five hands, the sequence of cards is reversed, so the low cards are high and vice versa."

"Only if it is raining," the Doctor smiled; "the fact is, these conditional rules vary from planet to planet. For instance, on Earth that rule applies on Tuesdays."

"This is confusing, " Amy shook her head.

"Wait, we have Tuesdays here."

"We have here what we have been calling Tuesday." Martha amended.

"And second Tuesday, but, here they have real names for their 15 day week." The Doctor nodded shuffling the large deck in his elegant hands.

"What are the names of the days of the week here anyway?" Amy asked

The Doctor opened his mouth to answer then clamped it shut. "That," he offered. "Is a good question." He rose to his full height, placed the now shuffled deck onto the table and spoke. "In fact I don't think the lot of us knows enough about this little planet we are living on."

Martha grinned at his sudden mania over a card game, but given the recent turn of events in their relationship, Martha was unwilling to allow him too much insight into how she saw him. "How are we supposed to do that?"

"Well, the TARDIS has an extensive database on the histories and.."

"No!" was offered in unison.

The Doctor seemed to deflate back into a seated position. "Well, the rules for the game are provisional. They must follow both the planets and well as things like day, weather. Really I don't; see any other way. I can pop off to the TARDIS grab the info, and come back. "

"Or," Martha offered, more by way of contradiction than information. "We can just pop off to the market and grab a few books. You can translate Doctor." She grinned. "Besides, we need milk and bread anyway."

The Doctor offered a disinterested sound followed by a petulant sneer. "Fine, we are going to the store." He agreed "But I am telling you like I told Henson, my pants stay on!"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The Market was packed, as usual. The doctor offered the same directional warnings as always; Rory offered the same disinterested glare at him.

Nothing ever changed.

Martha and Gleep were offered more interest; there were crowds of people who had assembled around the human and her dragon.

Martha was starting to feel a little uncomfortable with the amount of attention. Children of varying species came up to her asking if they could pet him. She declined all offers, but it seemed to only make them ask again, more determined. Martha looked around only to realize that she was somehow separated from the rest of her friends.

She turned around and felt confused. There were endless booths, and she could not figure out where she was, even where they had parked the vehicle they had come in.

Gleep seemed to read the crowd, the problem was that he felt the need to protect her, but lacked the size, strength or girth to do so. Martha knew the little lizard would put himself in danger trying to protect her. She felt a surging need to fight.

Martha held onto his little body as closely as she could without hurting him. Little wisps of smoke puffed from his nose and mouth in huffing breaths. Martha worried that this was going to be a bad situation.

"Maybe you will feel more comfortable over here." A deep smooth voice spoke in her ear; close enough for her to feel his breath caress her lobe softly. A firm hand on her elbow, she felt suddenly vulnerable and open as the unknown person led her and Gleep to the safety in the back of a nearby stall.

The stall was dark, but held a fragrant scent of something richly exotic. Sift fabrics hung on the walls of the stall, and a lush pile of pillows. "Thank you for helping me, us. It was getting a little hairy out there."

She still had not seen the face of her rescuer; he had kept himself behind her, masking his features until the safety of the stall. "My pleasure." He grinned. "Any human strong enough to have a dragon has got to be someone worth helping out every now and again."

Martha turned to face the soft voice. The man stood well over six feet, lean with brown hair, wearing an all too familiar face. "Doctor?" she asked shakily.

The man shook his head, stepped back and placed himself against the wall opposite her. "I'm not him, " he insisted. "But I have upset you. I chose this face from your mind. You seemed to be attached to it for some reason. I am sorry if I have made you sad. I have made you sad, haven't I?"

Martha shook her head, but held Gleep closer to her. "What are you?" she whispered.

He lifted his chin and spoke "I am something terribly old, and vastly unknown." He admitted.

Martha felt no fear of him. In fact, she felt a level of comfort with the alien that she was hesitant to trust. She moved closer to him. "You are a shape shifter?" she asked.

He nodded, but kept the face. "I do not reveal that to many people. I would appreciate if you kept that between us." He moved away from her and stepped over to a sink. "I will make us some coffee, I feel as if we may be here a while."

"Tea would be better." She smiled. "I am Martha by the way, have you got a name?"

"I have had many. But my own name is so ancient it's nearly been forgotten. You can call me Loki." He smiled over his shoulder.

"Great," she muttered "Another alien with that face who has a thing about his name."

Loki placed two steaming mugs on the table and sat down across from her. His smile was so much like the Doctor's she felt her voice catch in her throat as she offered a thank you.

"I am sorry, but I am sort of stuck in this face now, at least for a little while. I can change in=t if you like, but it's not very pleasant to feel or watch."

"No, no, its fine. In fact it's a bit comforting to see." She offered him a smile as he fed Gleep a rather large piece of fruit.

"How did you get him?" he asked as he petted Gleep's head.

Martha told him about her delivery of the dragons. He smiled as she described how confused and lost she felt during the entire situation. "I didn't even know who my patient was; let alone how to go about helping."

"You executed a perfect delivery of the dragons. Literally textbook" Loki assured her.

Martha could not help but feel that old odd pride at someone wearing that face telling her how well she had done. What was stranger for her was how comfortable she felt here with him, and how mellow Gleep was in this stranger's presence. "Well, it was fun. Never thought I would end up with this little guy for it." She smiled.

Loki seemed to be staring right through her, he had mentioned he read her thoughts to produce that face. "What do you know about them? Dragons I mean."

"Only what he himself has told me. Well when I say told, I mean he shared in my head." She shook her head as if the whole idea seemed somehow crazy. "I know he has changed me "

"And you him," he nodded.

"How much do you know about them?" she asked

Loki stood and poured more tea for both of them. He threw a green piece of fruit in the air and they both laughed as Gleep skillfully caught it in his mouth. "He usually does not like to do canine tricks." Martha noted.

"Why shouldn't he, he is not a dog. What you have there is a complex, ancient sentient being. He chose you. He did not emerge last because he was lazy, he was waiting for you."

"I know, I mean I know that he chose me. What i don't understand is why he chose me. I don't get what is so special about me."

"Only you can figure that out Martha. But, I do know that dragons do not make their choices lightly. There was something in you that Gleep felt he needed. He felt something in you that was right. You're probably one of those do-gooders." He grinned.

"That's what the Doctor said." She grinned, but it quickly turned to an expression of desperation. "Oh the Doctor, the others. My friends will be looking for me. For us."

Loki stood again and offered his hand to her. "I shall escort you out, and help you find them." He offered.

"Will I see you again?" she asked quietly.

"In this face?" he asked just as quietly.

Martha nodded and took his hand and allowed him to lead her to the open air of the market again. The crowd had dispersed, but it had grown darker. "I didn't realize we had been talking for so long." She tsked. "they are going to be frantic about me."

Loki didn't speak, but he squeezed her hand and pointed to a small group of people ten meters away. The first thing Martha noticed was the Doctor speaking animatedly with arms and hands. Rory stood against a nearby pole holding a now yelling Amy.

"Yeah, that's them.' She nodded. "Looks like they are at it again, as usual." She sighed.

"Martha!" the Doctor shouted, he ran and grabbed her arms "Are you ok? Where have you been? You have been missing for over an hour." He searched her face and Martha had the distinct impression that his first urge was to kiss her. He didn't.

"I'm fine Doctor. I was with a new friend." She turned to introduce them but he was already gone. "He was just here. He helped me when the crowd got a little crazy." She arched her neck around but Loki was already melted back into the oncoming night.

"Anyway. Its good you are here, we need to get going. It's been quite an eventful day." He nodded leading her over to Amy and Rory.

"Amy, you got a haircut!"

"No, I Didn't!" she fumed.

"Ok, but it looks nice on you the bob is very flattering with your face.

"Well, I would not have chosen it myself, but someone offered it in trade."

The Doctor sighed and folded his arms. "Well, I don't see what the big deal is, we got the books about the planet, didn't we?" he waved six books over his head in triupmph.

Wasn't there another way to get them?" Martha asked

"Apparently, thanks to the Doctor, not without a global political incident." Rory gnashed.

"Oh don't be so dramatic. I got the books, I had no idea touching them was forbidden. " he waved away the situation and began walking toward their vehicle. "It'll grow back."


	18. Chapter 18

**Thanks all sorry so long, got a little blocked. Back on track, and on with it **

It was a life.

Amy Pond moped around the house, both gestating and periodically touching the space where her much longer ginger hair once laid. Rory often grabbed the hand that patted her own head, kissed it and spun her around to help allay her self-consciousness.

Martha was constantly struck with how good for each other they were. Maybe on some level it was Amy who had gotten the better end of that deal, but Martha had no fear that at some point , her age would catch up to her and she would flourish as a mature woman.

Martha would often find herself sighing as she watched the two. In the week since their last visit to market, Martha had begun to feel a very discernable chasm between her and the Doctor. He spent much of his time in the shed, and Martha wondered how long before that thing could spin and disappear across the universe.

The Doctor only graced her with odd withering looks now. He seemed to have a memory wrapped around the wrong things to say. They stopped mean words and had moved right along to avoidance and awkward moments. She wanted to talk to him, but there always seemed to be some feeling in the way.

Rory and Amy were too wrapped up in the beauty of impending parenthood to give too much of a care as to the state of her relationship. She did not blame them either; it had all become something she wore alone, carried around in her day, just out around her neck. A shame of a chance once had, now seemingly lost for good.

Martha realized that she had to figure out where she would go from here. Not only did she now have a lifelong sidekick, but a life that stretched out ahead of her endlessly. In the now cooler mornings of the fading planetary summer, Martha vexed her plight. Most people, while mused over the possibilities of immortality, would choose to die at a natural time. No one wanted to be the last man standing in their family. Then, only to see family becoming further and further away in genetic relation. She began to realize the melancholy of eternity. The Doctor had said that he once foolishly promised Rose forever, now she realized to promise eternity was tantamount to a curse.

But, she loved what she had gained; never in all of the three months she had kept watch over Gleep did she regret him. He was a creature unlike anything she had ever encountered. His intelligence was remarkable. He had learned to open the black, cast iron fridge himself, rifle around until he found what he wanted to eat, and even clean up after himself.

Martha grinned at the realization that he was far more advanced than the Doctor in that respect.

But, in that same early morning clarity, she began to extract the idea that her time on Earth was fast becoming something to consider in the past tense. She could no more leave Gleep on this planet alone than she could go home with a pet dragon in tow; it may work out great in children's fiction, but the reality of it was bad Japanese science fiction movies.

He circled her now, flying over her head, still practicing his smoke rings. He had even managed to emit heat from one nostril the other night as he sat between her and the Doctor.

The Doctor of course, was not impressed.

"He doesn't like me." The Doctor pouted to no one.

"Neither did any of my friends after you jumped out of that cake at my stag party." Rory mumbled over his coffee.

Everyone seemed to shrug in one simultaneous sweep, yet no one opened their mouths to refute what the alien amongst them had observed. In the way that private jokes had of encompassing a small did these little pieces of a past experienced. "Better than what he did at Sarah Jane's wedding." Martha smirked.

"Yes, ok I do not have a good track record with weddings, including my own" he sniffed. "But I saved the day at Sarah Jane's wedding." He waggled.

"And ours." Amy defended taking Rory's hand in her own.

"No Amy," the Doctor corrected, "that was you, if you remember, well of course that was it, you remembered." The Doctor smiled at his dear friend and Martha could see his hand twitch as he seemed to want to take Martha's hand, and thought twice of it.

Martha noticed, it struck her that she wanted him to take her hand, she even moved it closer to his.

He turned his face and offered her a fleeting smile. "My companions are all amazing," he demurred.

It was the start of a long process, breeching the gap that had gaped into a maw those few short weeks.

But these small inroads came in bites. Sometimes Martha found herself sitting next to the Doctor, and as Einstein had pointed out, sometimes bodies were drawn together by sheer attraction.

They still held that for each other, it was as obvious as bump under Amy's dress.

Said bump was now six months gone, and while the quartet had settled into a definite pattern, none of them were really comfortable with it. Martha named it one night at the dinner table. "Its like the last week at away camp. You know there is still a ton of time left, but in the back of your mind—"

"You know it has to end at some point." The Doctor finished.

Martha nodded and smiled. "Yeah," She had assumed that Rory and Amy were smiling at her analogy, but what the young couple had noticed was something that not even the Doctor had.

"I realize we are only her for another few months."

"Weeks really," the Doctor nodded.

"But it feels, you know, as if we are sort of a family here. It's odd really." Martha went on.

"Well, you know what that makes the two of you," Rory added pointing his finger at Martha then the Doctor.

The two looked at each other and shook their heads.

It was Amy who answered, still shoveling pink colored cheese into her mouth, "Mum and Dad."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

It had been three weeks since she had felt him on her lips. Three weeks bereft of his closeness. She was not sure if they would ever be able to go back to what they had been so close to. She still came out and sat on the bench in the mornings to watch Gleep have his morning stretch.

But now, instead of walking to the TARDIS the Doctor now walked toward Martha Jones. He would come to the edge of her field of vision, stand near the endless field of tourquoise grass, hands tucked into his pockets.

Every day he got a little bit closer, over three weeks she had been sure that he would come to her. Maybe, she thought, she would go to him. Maybe, she thought. It was time to meet in the middle.

Too much, sure she had developed this new part of her life, and at a time when she was starting to think things in her life were coming together. But, was the Doctor up to his old manipulative ways?

At first, Martha had believed that, that he had come to her with touches and kisses because she was now a more fixed permanence on the time line. He was a creature used to loss, so was it possible that the prospect of a longer relationship seemed to feed his loneliness?

But, in truth she knew this was different. The man that she met at Royal Hope was a far cry from the man she knew now. This Doctor was not so sure of himself, he seemed human, looked it even, but he seemed to hold a discomfort with humanity. Not a dislike, Martha figured that old man would always see humans as his personal cause. This new Doctor, this current one, did not have the same need nor capacity for deceit and subterfuge.

He was quicker to offer honest praise, not off handed giddy outbursts that seemed to be fuel for some later fire. The Doctor enjoyed being around her, being quiet around her. He was trying. But was it enough?

Maybe it was his removal from the body that saw the loss of Rose, perhaps it was the distance in time from the Time War, but this man was different, and she felt as if her feelings for this Doctor were also different.

"Gleep?" she asked after noticing he had not sprayed her with water in five minutes. "Gleep?" She got up and began to walk toward the purple fyre trees near the opposite end of the lake.

"Hello," she heard from behind her. Turning, she smiled to see Loki walking wtoward her with Gleep flying back and forth in front of him. He rose wearing the face she had known so well for so long.

"Loki, hello," she waved back. "I see you found my wayward friend."

Loki offered her a brilliant smile and swept low. "He is no trouble, and I fear it is I who led him astray."

"He likes you." Martha smiled.

"He does."

"How did you get here?" she asked looking around for a transport vehicle. "And how did you know where I lived?"

He smiled at her obvious paranoia. "I was just walking, Looking for Strand Rock, it often forms out in the rural parts of this continent. Makes for lucrative trading."

"Really?" she asked looking around herself. "What does it look like?"

He launched into an explanation of what he had come looking for, and just like that, they were talking as old friends. They took a walk around the lake with Gleep flying and apraying both of them with water. Loki explained everything to her, answered all of her questions about everything they came into contact with. He was far more open and forthcoming than what she was used to from that face. She decided that information was what she wanted.

"Where are you from?" she asked finally as they stood on the opposite side of the lake, so far from the house they could barely see the outline of the house.

Loki stuffed his hands into his pockets, and in that moment Martha wondered if she was really talking to The Doctor, but he spoke in soft even tones that belied his face. "I was born over an aeon ago. That is age for you. You do know what that is?"

Martha nodded, she was familiar with the concept of Ages, 22,000 years, give or take a millennia. "Like the age of Aquarius?" she smiled

He seemed to find humor in her analogy; he laughed and ran a long hand through his tousled head. "You are human aren't you?" he smiled bigger. "Well, my people don't really have a planet. We exist as we go along. I was born across the universe. My parents were travellers too. They simply wanted to see everything."

"Do you get to see them?" she asked enthralled at the idea of interstellar gypsies. "Your parents, family I mean."

"Not often, but it is not uncommon to run into others sometimes."

"Don't you get lonely? I mean having no ties to where you came from. I have this friend, he is the last of his kind. Pines about it. I can understand how he feels, if I were the last of my kind I would be pretty bawls about it too."

"It's lonely, but I meet so many people, make so many friends that loneliness isn't really that much of an issue. I love the feeling of spending time learning about a people I have never come in contact with. I like to think of myself as a sort of archeologist."

"You meet so many people, but have you any family of your own?"

"Dozens of times. It's the best way to learn about a culture, shift into what they are and marry into their culture. I get to learn about the society first hand, slip into their existence. When my spouse dies, I move on."

Martha shook her head, "That seems so sad Loki. To never have a family that you can set down roots with."

He shrugged then but continued on. "It's not as if we seek each other out. We are a people of knowledge and exploration. We don't seek to better our own society, nor anyone else's. We simply seek to learn all there is to learn, to know all there is to know." He nodded. "Our lives are so long spent because we are evolutionary marvels of knowledge.

Martha sighed. "It's a lot to take in, yeah, the living a long life part I mean." She nodded at Gleep who was barreling and tumbling in the water. She smiled at how much he seemed to love water.

"You get used to it Martha." Loki advised. "I know I have had all of my life to deal with it, and yes it is inherent in my nature, but I have seen many who become mated to dragons. They resist it for a while, watch all of their families die. But, in the end, they forge a new life, they develop a new idea of what life is."

"That is the part I am not looking forward to. Watching my family die." She shuddered.

Loki placed his hand on her shoulder. "If you have someone close to you, it does get easier."

She imagined he was right, she imagined that having a confidant was the best way to deal with the entire world falling apart around her; someone who has lived a long life, seen a lot of things, been a lot of places. A guide through the universe, a person to stand at her side.

Someone to hold her hand.

Loki smiled, moved closer to her and placed his lips onto hers.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Rory stood in front of the large picture window, staring out into the yard when the Doctor burst in through the back door.

"Where's Martha?" he stormed.

Rory turned to him and offered a blank glare. "And good morning to you too Doctor."

The Doctor moved across the room like a cat. "It's 23 in the afternoon; I have not seen her all day, have you?" He glared back at Rory with an accusatory glare. "Now, let's try this with a lot less lip and a bit more concern for our housemate, hmmm? Where is Martha, have you seen her?"

Rory placed his mug on the sink and turned to look outside. Come to think of it, he had not seen her since that morning. He had last watched Gleep flying against the lake. Martha had not come in for lunch, but that was not unusual, they usual fended for themselves at lunch. "I, I haven't seen her**." **

The Doctor looked all of the Oncoming Storm that Martha had mentioned; his facial features flitted between scared and angry. Rory wondered if the planet was safe. "There is any number of things on this planet, in this area that could cause permanent and irreparable damage to you fragile humans." He spoke evenly but quickly. "There are fourteen species of flower that if picked, emit a toxin that would render your face unrecognizable even to your own mother. There are at least twenty five animals out there that would find you lot fun sport. Not to mention, and did I mention, that on certain parts of this planet human flesh is a delicacy?"

"I-"

"Nope," the Doctor shouted, "Stop talking, I am talking. You are going to listen. In three hours it is going to be first sunset, which means the light will diminish by one third. Do you know what that means?"

"I-"

"Shut up, I am still talking. That means that if we don't find Martha soon, we are going to be out stumbling around in what could be Grock infested air."

"Grock?"

The Doctor fired off at Rory in effigy. "Grab your coat Williams, we are going to go out and find our missing Doctor."

"Right," Rory mumbled running for his jacket.

"Oh, and Rory?" the Doctor sing-songed.

"Yeah?"

"Good morning."


	19. Chapter 19

**Thank you so much for all the love and encouragement, makes me want to write really well for you all **

**Come and Get It  
**

"I don't think that is such a good idea." She admitted.

Loki shrugged off her dispute; "You wanted to kiss me, "

"How are you in my head at all?"

"It's not as if I can read your mind, it's that, some thoughts are broadcasted much clearer than others. "

"I am broadcasting that face and my feelings about that face then," she nodded. :That is why Gleep likes you so much."

"You are sending out signals that are impossible to ignore." He smiled. "But yes, I guess it is tied to this face. Who is he?"

Martha sighed, sat herself in the grass and stretched out. "He is someone that seems to be written into my life, in indelible ink."

Joining her on the ground, Loki folded his legs and hands. "I can listen." He offered

"Yes but I feel as if you are the wrong person I should be saying these things to. And, I am all talked out about it. To be honest, it is such a dead issue anymore I am surprised it's even affecting my psyche."

"But it is."

"It is." She nodded.

"Perhaps there is something you need to work through before you can go forward."

Martha laughed a little. "Are your people psychiatrists too?"

"No, we just seek to understand. Part of that understanding is psyche. What makes us the complex structures that we are."

Martha shuffled her feet uncomfortably, she really did not want to get into this with what was it seemed, a complete stranger. But, on the other hand, she felt such a need to vent. "I understand the idea that the heart wants what the heart wants. I get that, but why do people have to dredge upon things in their pasts enough to make someone else feel so much pain."

"That is all fairly ambiguous."

Martha smiled again, finding it easy to do around him. "Yeah, well. As I said, I really don't want to rehash all of it. I would like to leave the past in the past and move along with things."

"Not always easy to do is it?" Loki looked across the lake as he spoke.

"No," Martha admitted. "No matter how hard try, I keep reverting to old behaviors that I know are not going to do me any good." She sighed. "I want to move on with the Doctor but, its like a brick wall and I have no idea how to get around it."

"The doctor?" Loki asked. "Is he one of the friends you are here with?"

"He is, and so much more." Martha smiled "He is the cause of both my needing to move on, and my inability to do so."

Loki nodded, "I can understand that. Then, I am sorry for coming between something that seems to mean so much to you."

"Yeah, and that face is his,"

Loki pulled a frown and Martha could see the question on his face. "It's a long story, but that face," she pointed to Loki, "Is his, well one of many."

"Is he a shape changer?"

Martha really did laugh then, a good full chortle that made Gleep alight upon her lap in question. "Something like that, its complex."

Loki seemed to consider the puzzle for a while, giving Martha the opportunity to puzzle herself as to why she felt it necessary to not mention what The Doctor was. "He isn't human, is he?"

Martha shook her head "And that is all I am going to explain, perhaps you should come to the house for dinner. It is getting late and I am sure Amy has cooked something edible, this time."

Loki laughed and rose from the ground. "Perhaps another time Miss Martha Jones, I should really be getting back, there is no one in the stall and that is a dangerous thing at night. I have to see to closing up." He offered her his hand and pulled her from the ground. "And, I am sure you do not want to miss that absolutely-"

"-edible," Martha giggled as he brought her to her feet effortlessly.

"Edible," he nodded bringing her close to him again.

"I meant what I said before Martha, about having someone by your side. Things may become more confusing for you before there is any more clarity. "

Martha nodded. "A hand to hold."

Loki turned again to look into her eyes, "Yes," he flashed. "Think about that, under all the anger, and emotions and feelings that you have to sort and name, under it all you need a hand to hold." Now off to dinner." He smiled

Martha could not deny the thrill she felt in being held close by Loki, those same dark eyes that refused her times out of mind, now specifically honed into her and begging for her attention.

It was mind blowing.

"Yeah," she gulped. Mentally kicking herself for actually mentally gulping. "Yeah, edible."

He grinned wolfishly, in that mad Doctor way, and cupped her cheek in his thin hand. "I will see you again Martha Jones."

With that he turned and headed along the path to the market.

She watched him go, still rubbing the spot where his hand had been.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

She arrived at the house just as the first sun was setting; she watched the Doctor and Rory setting out from the back yard. Not realizing they were looking for her, she lifted her hand and waved a greeting. "Where are you two headed off so seriously?" she asked.

The Doctor flashed a look to Rory before running to meet her on the stone inlaid path.

He was falling over himself to get to her. "Martha! Where have you been?"

Rory took a few safe steps backwards as Martha affixed her ire upon the brunette. "Excuse me?" she asked arms folded. "Are you my father?"

"Don't be ridiculous Jones of course we are not related. I just want to know where you have spent the entire day."

"Oh boy," Rory mumbled, moving further back.

"Was there some sort of ceremony that I was not aware of?" she fired back.

"Martha, really there is no need for the theatrics. I was worried about you. Anything can happen out here, in case you haven't noticed, " he leaned in conspiratorially and offered in a stage whisper. "I don't think we are in Kansas anymore."

She wanted to shout back at him, angrily. She even opened her mouth to blast him with his arrogance, some sort of complaint involving how she was a full grown woman, capable of taking care of herself. She had even staged an entire. 'I am a new sort of person now aren't i?' monologue that was sure to bring sown the house.

But he had admitted an emotion, fear. He had never admitted to being afraid, and in his old body, he never would have.

Right there, in front of an admittedly frightened witness.

All of the steam went out of her ire right then. She could not muster the righteous indignation that had been bubbling up since his first question. "You are right, Doctor, I am sorry I worried you." She leaned over, kissed his cheek and made for the kitchen door.

Rory gawped after her, the, turning to the Doctor glared holes through the similarly dumbstruck man. "Well," Rory accused.

The Doctor cleared his throat, straightened his color and made a funny ruffle of his jacket. He turned toward the house with just a little more cock in his step, a slight strut to his cadence. "And that's how it's done, Pond."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Things got better between them after that, Martha realized that she really did hold a seat of frailty for the Doctor. That night at dinner held no odd tension. If Martha wanted to pat the Doctor on the shoulder in the heat of conversation, she did. If the Doctor's knee brushed against hers while they laughed at one of Amy's stories, he did not offer a stilted stumbling apology. It was as they had been three weeks before, before Martha had to adjust to a new way of life.

While the Doctor himself was not sure what had turned the tide to his favor, but he found himself in a state of constant maintenance.

"Maybe we should take a walk?" he asked one night after dinner as they washed dishes together.

Martha nodded shyly and felt her heart lighten at his words. She had wanted to talk to him since his unguarded admission. For anyone else, it was simply something to say, but fear was never anything easily admitted for the Doctor, fear nor any other real emotion for that matter.

They walked out into the moonlights, their chaperon flying close behind, repeatedly attempting to wedge himself between the two of them. "Is he ever going to let it go?" the Doctor asked, but Martha laughed, it felt good, right that this was starting again.

"I am sorry." She offered quietly as they stood on the small pier.

The Doctor nodded, thrusting his slim hands into his pockets. "It's all right, I should have expected worse. Far worse. You are dealing with some very large life changing situations Martha. I expect that you have a lot more to deal with."

"I am trying," she smiled shyly.

The Doctor reached his hand across the distance between them, he offered it to her, and she took it.

A hand to hold.

They sat again, in warmer clothes this time, but still just as close. They smiled at each other, and allowed the small dragon to curl up between them, though Gleep placed his head in Martha's lap while offering the Doctor a far less appealing body part.

"I don't know what to say Doctor." She started. "It's been a bit overwhelming. "

But, are you starting to get a handle of it?" he asked.

"It would be a lot easier if I knew what to do next, I mean after here."

"You can stay on the TARDIS with me if you like."

"And therein lies the trouble isn't it? Where else would I go?"

The Doctor nodded, knowing that there was more to this.

"I mean, I am going to live an extended life. It's not like I can stay on Earth, is it?"

"You can for a time I am sure, I can even fashion you a perception filter, people will see you getting older,"

She shook her head. "I know, and I realize all this, but what about Gleep? How do I explain him?"

"Another perception filter."

"It's not just that Doctor, it just feels more like a burden than a blessing."

"Of course it is!" he fired, sudden anger in his voice. "It's always, oh I love you, but don't get too close. I watch you age, and I watch you die." The Doctor began to pace back and forth agitated. "Sarah Jane, Rose, you. And let us not forget what happened to Donna. I can go on and on. I have lost so many of you Martha. So many friends, lovers. Do you have any idea how fragile you humans are? When you were gone today, I was terrified, because I absolutely understand the fragility of your race."

"Not so much anymore," Martha grumbled. "At least not for me."

The Doctor went on. "I have loved so many of you. I wanted a life with you Martha. Do you have even the slightest idea of how tempting it all was? To let it all go to rot and just be a human for one hundred years? I have done it before."

"You mentioned that."

"It's not as if I think of any of you as lesser beings. At least not now. I admit that I was raised to believe that. I love you humans, all of you humans. Some of my best friends have been human"

"You sound like my old boss at Herod's when we lived in 1969."

It wasn't enough to stop the tirade, the Doctor was on a roll, and regardless of the body, his mouth worked in pretty much the same way. "But you are all so fragile and flawed. There is so much about you lot that is both I am so afraid of losing you. It's not like me to feel that way. I always have all the answers; can do all of the right things. I am in possession of the most specialist box in the universe."

"So did Paris Hilton, at least that's what she believed for a while." She smirked.

He stopped talking, moving effortlessly he brought his face close to hers. "Is that how this is going to be?" he asked "Me talking and you deflecting my ire with dirty humor."

"Pretty much," she nodded with a straight face.

"Good, " he nodded, but still held her gaze, still remained in Martha's personal space.

"I realize that you cared for me before, Doctor. But, enlighten me; do the changed in my lifespan sweeten the deal?"

He frowned, moved away from her and folded his arms. "Of course it does, oh how could it not. I admit that I would have gone on pining for you Martha, but I would have been far less likely to have carried it further. Especially knowing that I would have wanted it to be permanent."

She nodded, understanding but still surprisingly hurt. "So you would have rather lived without me than to lose me?" she asked

The Doctor nodded.

"That is the stupidest load of bullshit I have ever heard come out of your mouth, and believe you me, I have heard some really crazy things. From both bodies."

" Oh you don't have enough of a point of reference to make that judgment. You should have known me when I wore the Technicolor Dream Coat." He smirked with a small shudder at the memory.

"How could you even hurt me like that? Did it never cross your mind that by saving yourself the pain, you were rendering me to a life of sadness as well? Did it even c ross your mind that I would have wanted the option?"

"Options? Who wants options? Sometimes too many of those make it harder to choose. "

"You knew how I felt about you." She poised her finger and began poking him between the hearts.

"Sort of obvious really."

"'Oh poor sad little me'" She mimicked. And you just went on in your sad little Emo flower mode, throwing yourself in front of Daleks and taunting Cybermen."

"Well, that was just fun, especially after having gone up against your mother."

"In all that time did you ever think that sometimes it's worth all of the pain?"

"what, your mother?"

"Is that how this is going to be, Me yelling and you interrupting me with smart ass commentary?" she asked.

"Yeah, pretty much."

"Good.," she smiled.

The Doctor leaned into her again, "OO now we get to make up, and can we do more of that kissing thing? I rather liked that part."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"They're at it again!" Amy accused from her perch in the living room.

"Fighting or snogging?"

"Looks like it could go either way at this angle. Oh how does she stand it?"

Rory was again picking through movies when he caught her comment, "Wait, she, what?" he asked completely confused.

"He can be so insufferable."

"Well, I know _that_." Rory nodded, "But hearing it from _you_ is sort of" he shrugged. "Odd."

"Ugh he is so full of himself. Do you know he actually believes that he and Martha are inevitable?"

Rory froze; he had never for an instant thought that the Doctor had felt anything for Martha. It was a means to keep himself occupied during the long eight months they were spending here. Immobile. "Really?"

"Yeah, says from the moment he met her, something about their time lines being all screwy and complicated. How they were meant to have some oddly long life together."

"Martha has changed, at least since that dragon has shown up."

"And where the hell is she going to live with that beast? She can't just rent a flat in Chelsea that has a dragon walk."

"All flats have roofs," Rory shrugged.

"Oh, you wouldn't notice if the woman who moved in next to you had a pet dragon? I think that would at least make Graham Norton." She smirked.

Rory rose from the couch and stood next to his wife at the window. "If she kisses him I get to name the baby." He smiled.

"There is no way she is going to kiss him, he is in his. 'I know what's best' mode. Nope not gonna freaking happen."

"Ok, but just in case, let's place that bet."

"Fine, I know I am right, I am so sure of it, I will take that bet. No way are you going to curse him with a redundant name like that."

"I think it'll be cool."

"You think too much." She smiled. "And its wrong a lot of the time."

"We'll see." Rory nodded as the watched the couple by the lake. "We shall see"


	20. Chapter 20

**So a couple of notes here before i go into the tale. One, i am sorry this took so long to produce, **

**Also, Tardis Mole has put up a third part to his wonderful story Incubus and Nightmare. If you have not read those, stop here, do not go any further and go read those. I'll wait.**

**Enjoy all, i am evil  
**

"It's inevitable." He told her in an oddly husky voice that seemed to both suit him and make him seem far more alien than she could have ever imagined. He hovered near her lips, bent over in that classic pose of a man about to dip into the water.

"Inevitable." She echoed. "What do you mean by that?" she angled away from him with the slightest of movements.

The Doctor offered her a shy grin, "Yes, I forget how astute you can be." He moved away and sat back down on the small bench. "Martha, do you remember the first time we met?"

"Which time?" she quirked.

"Clever girl," he patted her head and smiled. "When I met you the first time, it was one of the strangest experiences I can remember."

"Those Judoon were a severe lot, yeah/" she smiled with the memory.

"No Martha," he turned suddenly serious. "I mean when you attacked me with that stethoscope." he grinned as she chucked him with her elbow. "When I felt you—"

"Felt you?"

"Are you going to let me answer your questions? Or are you going to keep piling them on so that this conversation will go on until the first sun comes up?"

She folded her arms in mock indignation, adding a small sniff along with it. "I felt you because your time lines were so…unique. I could not figure it out. I sat in that bed after you left and I was flabbergasted. I thought,. At first that your time lines were why I was there."

She offered a small nod, encouraging him to go on.

He stood up and began that hectic pacing that he did when he was thinking. This new self, Martha smiled to herself, was ripe with quirks. "I tried to figure it out after you left with you class. I thought I was going mad. For a moment, oh the briefest of moments, I thought you were a survivor."

"Of the Time Waar?"

"Yes," he exclaimed and pointed at her. Or a Halfling. I told you about those. "

"But you figured it out that i wasn't "

"Oh, well yes, that was not too difficult. It was more wistful thinking than anything."

Martha understood that. His longing to not be the last of himself anymore. She was reminded of a conversation she had with Loki that very afternoon. The conversation that made her realize what she truly wanted.

"When I realized you were just human—"

"Thanks," she smirked.

The Doctor flashed to her his best "I am busy' glare before going on. "When I realized none of those things were true, I started to try to piece together why your time lines were so wonky."

"Wonky? Is that a technical term?"

"So is timey wimey. I thought we had this discussion?"

Martha again offered him the 'continue on' hand motion and folded her arms.

""I knew that something was going on, when you said you had seen me out on the street earlier, I reasoned that that had to be the case. You were part of a cheap parlor trick, and some of the residual time line crossing had affected your time lines."

"But it hadn't?"

"No, and by the time I met you in that room, I had it reasoned down to everything that was going on at the time."

"But, Doctor." Martha smirked. "When did you realize that it was something else, I mean whatever this something else is, because I swear you are the king of taking the long way home."

He smiled at her and sat down next to her, again. "Shakespeare. But none of that matters. What matters, what I am telling you all of this for is to explain to you two things./"

"Only two?"

"Martha," he warned with no seriousness. "First, there is a very good probability that we will be together for a very long time. Our time lines were so intertwined it was frightening."

"You were afraid of it?" she asked

"Oh yes, well if you think about it the prospect is quite frightening."

Martha eyed him suspiciously; there it was again, that admission of fear. "Afraid of what exactly? Being with me, or being with anyone?"

"Being with anyone so limited in their life span," he sighed, brought his hands to his face and rubbed vigorously. "I admit Martha Jones, that I was afraid. Of you."

She could not understand why she felt so ripped at that moment. It was not his admission, rather the glaring understanding of his actions. 'That is why you pushed me away."

"Time and again."

"Treated me like crap."

"Yes," he nodded.

"I mean you were a complete ass to me."

"Yes I was. "

"You honestly made me feel like I was less than a person. You wanted to keep me away you di a great job. I left because I felt as if I was never going to be in the same league as the image of Rose."

"My perceptions of Rose were far better than the actual thing. She ripped apart reality to get back to me, that is only romantic in fiction. In truth, Rose was no better than the Daleks. That is why I left Handy with her. They were made for each other. "

She knew all of this, had known even as she had traveled with him in his old self. He was pining for someone he lost and she had no inclination to be the rebound girl. She just wanted to be recognized. When the Doctor had told her she was not replacing Rose, Martha had been top student in enough psychology classes to understand what was going on. "Do you imagine the two of them happy together? I mean there in the other universe."

"I hope so." He shrugged.

"Can you go and find out? I mean is there any way to find out how he is."

The Doctor patted her hand, "That is so you Martha Jones." He smiled. "Compassion for everyone. No, as it stands there is no way to check on him. I just have to assume that things worked out for them. For him. Jackie and Pete will look after him."

"And Rose?" she asked quietly.

"I seriously doubt that Rose will find too much of interest with a human form of myself. " he sneered. "Especially one moored to one planet."

They sat in silence for a while, merely enjoying being near one another. "So " Martha spoke breaking the stillness, "Are you saying it was love at first sight?"

\The Doctor made a sound of utter distaste. "Love at first sight? Please, Martha, I am a highly evolved species. I no more believe in love at first sight than I do in idolatry and-" The Doctor puffed the air and made a sweeping gesture with his slender hands. "Tarot Cards."

But Martha was nonplussed. "So if you knew from the first time you met me that we were to be together for 'a long time'" she mocked with quotation hand gestures.

"A _very_ long time," he nodded, either not getting the sarcasm or choosing to ignore hers.

"A 'very' long time." She amended. "I mean wouldn't it stand to reason that is a form of love? I mean if you look at the classical definition of love, the arc of emotion, the knowledge of forever, the desire for a continued entanglement…" she smiled and folded her arms in triumph.

"There is no such thing as love at first sight." The Doctor sniffed petulantly.

"You really know how to romance a girl don't you?" Martha grinned. "But, all right if it makes you feel any better."

"Yes, yes it does." He nodded.

Martha laughed long and hard, but she put her arms around him and pulled him close to her. "All right Doctor. I defer to your far superior intellect and evolution."

"And as well you should too." He spoke, chin rising in the air. "And don't for a second believe that I do not recognize patronization when I hear it."

"Whatever you say Doctor." She smiled, bringing her lips to his.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

When they returned into the house, the first thing they noticed was a very distraught looking Amy Pond.

"What is it Amy?" The Doctor asked as Martha silently prayed this had nothing to do with a school girl crush.

"This," she answered pointing her elegant finger into the Doctor's chest. "Is all your fault. Just so you know, and just so we are clear, when my child wonders about where his name came from and why he is a topic of constant ridicule, I will point him in your direction.'

"I'm sorry?" it was both a question and an admission of guilt.

Amy growled and turned away from the couple, waddled to her favorite spot on the couch and threw herself into it.

"I am so confused right now." Martha smirked. "But I like the allegations."

Rory emerged from the kitchen with a glass of water. "She lost a bet." He drawled leaning against the wall.

"Oh?" The Doctor asked. "What bet?"

"The bet that allows me to name our son what I want. She gets to give him the middle name."

"What is the name?" Martha asked as she dragged Gleep out of the popcorn bowl. Again.

Amy pulled a face, but it was Rory who answered. "We can't say, not until he is born. It's sort of a tradition in my family. So is the name." he grinned.

The Doctor patted Rory on the back, hard enough to nearly make him drop his water glass. "Good sense Pond, good sense."

"Its Williams actually." He corrected, again."

"No, it isn't." The Doctor corrected.

"No," Rory admitted. "It isn't. But, I win this one."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

It was to be their next to last trip to the big market. Amy was in the home stretch of her pregnancy, and moved far too slow for the rest of them. But, they reduced their speed so she was not let alone.

"Here we are then Gleep. Stand still you little-"

"Are you putting a collar on him?" Martha asked incredulously. She was fighting the urge to tackle the man she loved to the ground and pummel him.

"It's not a collar." The Doctor attempted to reason with her, all the while aware of her increasing discomfiture with his attention to Gleep.

For his part, the little dragon was quick, lithe and agile. He dodged the Doctor's grasp time and again. It was obvious who was going to win the fight, and who was going to hurl expletives for the next two hours. Little trails of smoke wisped around the Doctor's head as Gleep evaded capture.

Martha held out her arms as if to hug someone, Gleep fell into her hold without a second thought. "What are you trying to put on him then?" she asked, angling Gleep away from the Doctor.

He held out the offending article in both his hand. "It's a perception filter. I am just trying to keep you from having any more difficulties like last time."

Martha plucked the collar from his hand and placed it on Gleep in one move. "Why didn't you just say that?" she huffed.

The Doctor unfolded his long index finger and aimed it at the little dragon. Gleep exhaled a might gust of smoke and a sound not unlike an air horn.

"He hates me."

Martha grinned. "Give him time, I am sure he will grow to only dislike you/"

They walked through the market slower than usual; both due to Amy's girth, but also because of some innate understanding that this would be over soon. Amy and Rory began picking out small items for their families back home; a fact that spoke volumes about where they were headed after the baby was born. Martha herself picked up little trinkets, but she herself had no idea when she would get back to Earth, or even for how long. She began to understand a need to make some sort of plans for her life. Long term plans.

"I am starting to think you are just a figment of my imagination. She spoke without turning around. Martha had expected to see the odd man there, but she had feared that he would not speak to her.

"I like seeing you Martha jones." He smiled. "And I am not a figment of anyone's imagination, I am just choosy as to h=whom I let see me."

"Like Mr. Snuffaluffagous." She tittered at his confused look but waved away the explanation. "How have you been?"

Loki patted Gleep on the head as he answered. "I am well, though I feel it may be time to move on soon."

"Moving on, why?" surprised at how sad his departure made her.

He smiled and led them to his stand. It was more empty than it had been before, and the walls were lines with boxes. "You really are going." She sniffed.

"I have been here for a long time Martha." He offered her a seat and began to make coffee. "I feel as if I have learned everything I could here already."

"So, what have you learned?" she asked.

Loki seated himself across from her and set a plate of fruit in front of Gleep. "I have learned about their culture here. The way they raise their children, the way they marry. My wife here died last year."

"I am so sorry to hear that."

But Loki waved away her condolences. "When you live for a long time, you get used to saying goodbyes. So used to them in fact you become immune to them. I have even grown to hate them;"

"I don't ever want to become that removed from others." She spoke without thinking. But Loki only laughed and patted her hand.

"I loved my wife, and I have loved all of my wives, and husbands. I have no children as my species is incompatible with most. I have not become callous to life Martha; just realize that all of my loved ones have embarked upon a journey that I have a long while yet before I can take."

"I am sorry Loki. I didn't mean to make you feel like I was judging you."

He waved her away again. "It's not as if it did not sound particularly callous. It did."

"What was she like? Your wife here I mean."

A starry look crossed the man's face, and Martha was reminded of the Doctor, in that face, when he would find out something he didn't know before. "She was beautiful, and smart. She was the daughter of a farmer, but she put herself through school and became a writer."

"A writer, really?" she asked genuinely surprised.

"Yes," Loki nodded, rising, he searched through some of the boxes in the far corner of the room. "Her!" he produced a handful of books in a language

"Wow! This is amazing, she wrote fiction?"

"I forget you cannot read the language yet. That will change. She wrote romance. Well what you would be able to decipher as romance. Though, it is close. "

"Wait, what did you mean that will change, what will change?" she asked

Loki offered her one of the books. "Flip through it." He nodded.

Martha flipped through the book, and as she moved through the alien text, a word here or there would emerge. In English. "It's got English words in it?"

"No," Loki smiled folding his arms. "It's all in high Tellaxxian." He smirked.

Martha went through the book again, "No, see here Loki. That word is in English." She offered him the novel, pointing out the word.

But Loki stood firm, shook his head and smiled even wider. "The book has not changed Martha. You have."

Martha looked at the book, then Loki, then the book again. "How is that possible. "But she knew the answer to her own question; it was presently using his hands to consume the large purple fruit in its hands. "Gleep?"

The dragon looked at her at the sound of his name, his large purple eyes asking a question that his cocked head seemed to ask as well.

Loki laughed that the two for them. "You understand him, why is it so hard to believe that you will now be able to understand any language?"

"Oh great, my damn dragon is a Babel Fish" she chuckled. "What else should I know about?"

"There are things that you will have to learn on your own." He smiled. "How are things with you now?" he asked.

"Things are better." She admitted.

"Things have a way of getting better Martha. You are a unique being now. There are things you will discover that are unique to your physiology."

"Like what?"

But, Loki shook his head. "I am, in this regard, limited by my experience. I can only go by what I have seen and what I can extrapolate from other species. You have a unique bond with Gleep, as each person does. It's something that you will have to grow into."

"It's a bit overwhelming." She admitted. "But I feel as if this is what I was destined to do."

"And, where are you off to next, I mean after your friend has her baby. Are you going to go home?"

Martha ducked her head, "I have been thinking about that a lot. " she admitted. "I am not sure where I belong anymore."

"I understand." He nodded.

"Do you?" she accused. "because I am from twentieth century Earth,. They don't get a lot of people who do not age. Not to mention dragons."

"I know." He nodded again.

It was his easy demeanor that seemed to fire her anger. "You have absolutely no idea what I am facing. I mean no offense, but I barely no you. I don't see how you can sit over there and pretend to empathize with my plight. I have friends, and family and a career that are now going to be obsolete for me. Eventually I am going to outlive everyone and everything I know. I don't even know if I can have children or not."

He let her rant, the silence fell soon after her fight ran out of steam,. Loki said nothing, rose, filled the teapots and scratched Gleep behind the ear to comfort him.

Martha watched his quiet manner and was suddenly reminded of the Doctor, at least the one that she was quite sure she was now in love with. Madly.

"Come with me." He spoke finally.

"What?" "Come with me. No pressure for anything, we can just see the universe. I have the means to go on to other places, and you can come too."

She arched her hand to his arm and squeezed. "I don't think our paths are meant to cross that way."

Loki nodded and leaned in to kiss her cheek. "I know, but you cannot blame me for wanting to try. Some of the feelings you emit about me are rather startlingly clear."

Martha smiled at his honesty "No, I can't blame you, and it's the face Loki. You are wearing the face of the man I love. "

"Ah, " he nodded, "The Doctor."

Martha rose and gathered her bag. "Who will start to dismantle the entire place if he can't find me. Oh hell, who am I kidding he will dismantle the place if he gets too bored."

Loki smiled "He sounds like a handful."

"Oh that and much more." She smiled.

"You love him."

"I do,"

"A hand to hold."

"I hope so. Will I see you again?"

"I would count on it Miss Jones." He smiled as he escorted her to the market.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

It was inevitable.

That is what he had told her between tender kisses and gentle caresses.

Inevitable.

From the moment he met her in that hospital he had known.

And somehow, on some level, Martha wanted to believe she had known too. After all, she had heard two hearts, but had kept it to herself. It had been her first instinct to protect him.

Why?

Martha laid her head against his shoulder as he held her close. "I have shamelessly adapted to this." She hummed low, smiling into his shirt at his throaty response.

"Me too,"

She rose a little taller to kiss him, and this time her kisses burned like phosphorous. There was no mistake in what she wanted as she shifted her body against his. But, just in case he may have missed her signal, she brought her hand across his lap and to his center.

"Martha," he huffed deeply. "Before this goes any further, and this really needs to go further, we need to talk."

Martha made a frustrated noise in her throat, "Again?"

He tapped her on the nose and smiled. "Fooled you." He laughed, took her hand and led her to the TARDIS.

"We can't go in there." She whispered as if someone was listening.

"We need to be in there, so I can get in there. " he waggled his eyebrows for effect.

"Oi, one more joke like that and it's gonna be a lonely millennia,. "She smiled. "Seriously we promised Amy and Rory, what if we go in there and we end up in 14th century France, or something. Stuck."

"I have been to 14th century France, and it's not that bad. Oh wait, yes it is." He leaned against the door of the TARDIS. I would feel better doing this in there." He motioned between them.

She moved to him and placed her hands on his rear and squeezed as she kissed his mouth reverently. "I don't want to wait any longer. "


	21. Chapter 21

**Thank you for all of my reviewers, seriously you guys are awesome and this thing has more alerts than any of my other stories. thank You for that **

He could barely open the door. She laughed when he tried to snap; his fingers and it would not open for him. He fixed her with an exasperated glare and fumbled for his key.

The door opened for her when she placed her hand on the door.

He called her a show off, grabbed her around the waist and lifted her off of her feet.

He stumbled over the entrance into the TARDIS; she nearly fell out of his grasp.

She laughed when he fell and they both landed sprawled onto the floor of the console room. Her first instinct was to grab his wrist and pull him closer to her. But she kissed him instead.

He responded, soft at first, but her kisses insisted that they be answered with immediate payment. He responded to her, with hands, and lips and sounds. He rolled her over so that he was above her, cheeks flushed, hands deliberate.

He exalted her face, and neck, and head with attention, his hands found purpose upon her skin. She, in turn became deliberate in her acquaintance of a body she never knew, a mind she revered and desired. He was everything to her once and now again.

The same, but different.

"There is a dragon watching us." He mock whispered between battering her lips with his and moving himself away from her, painful distance in every inch.

Martha giggled but turned to look at Gleep, he was perched on top of the console staring at the two of them. She said nothing to the dragon, and he made no noise, but after a moment he flew high atop the console room, nestled himself at the top of the stairs and tucked his head under his wings.

"How did you do that?" The Doctor asked in a growl.

"Does it matter?" Martha placed her arms back around his shoulders, drawing him back to her lips.

He was already in a state of complete arousal, and Martha could feel the proof of that on her thigh. "Sod it," he groaned as her hand began to tenderly rub against his arousal.

He moved his hands to her shirt, loving the feel of her warm flesh against his cool hands. Martha let out a small sigh at the initial contact. His fingers deftly sifted underneath her shirt, the satin smooth skin gave under his deft touch.

In the interest of fairness, Martha slid her hands under his shirt. It took her over two minutes to even gain access. In the funny way that thoughts creep into one's head in the oddest of times, she wondered what his need was for hiding under so much clothing. Even in his other self, he was always so overdressed.

Her hands finally found purchase, sliding over his surprisingly soft skin. He shuddered as her fingers traced fretted patterns against his back.

And just when she had found an oddly responsive spot between his shoulder blades, the Doctor grabbed her left nipple between his two fingers and pulled.

"Maybe," Martha thrummed between pants." Maybe this is not the best place to have this particular conversation."

The Doctor continued his fevered rant of her, he inhaled every scent, every touch molded into his long term memory. "Mmmmmm,"

"Doctor," she whispered into his ear and moved her tongue around the lobe. "We should go into my room."

"Or mine," he mumbled, still fondling her nipples with an ardor.

"We should go," she spoke

"MMMHmm," he moved his lips from her mouth to her now exposed nipples.

Martha gave up any thought after that. Stars rushed behind her eyes as his tongue and teeth made her brown areolas turn into to taut little pecans.

Her hands flew to his silky head as he formed a gentle but urgent rhythm to his movements.

The sound of the TARDIS door opening was lost on the two lovers as they continued their plunder of each other's' bodies. The figure stood in the doorway, holding his own love in his arms. "Doctor,"

The Doctor raised his head at the sound of his own name. "This better be _really_ important, Pond. I mean end of the world important. There had better be a Dalek behind you, three Cyberman descending from the roof tops, and an army of weeping angels. In fact there had better-"

"It's Amy, her waters have broken."

"It's so early." He fretted pacing back and forth in the infirmary.

"You are making it worse Rory, just sit down." Amy raised herself up and patted the bed next to her. "Come and keep me company. I imagine it's going to be so painful soon I won't even want you near me."

"It's the first baby, and even though it's a month early, if you are going to go into pre-term labor, this is the best place for it, yeah?" Martha smiled at the young couple.

"What could have caused it?" Amy asked, still rubbing Rory's shoulder, more for strength than to reassure him.

"Could have been anything." Martha smiled reassuringly. "Could have been the different air pressure or gravitational pull here.

Martha patted Amy on the ankle and left the two to wait out the long early hours. She walked through the corridors to find the Doctor in the console room, pacing and wringing his hands. "How is she?"

Martha came to his side and placed her arm around his waist. "She is going to be fine Doctor. Stop feeling so bad about all of this. We have done nothing wrong, you have done nothing wrong."

"I know that, it's just. We were so into what we were doing, what we were feeling, that I forgot about what was really important." He moved away from her and began pacing again.

"No, we didn't" Martha shoved her hands into her white coat and shrugged. "Anyway, Amy and the baby, they are doing fine. Labor is progressing beautifully; I really don't see any complications."

The Doctor nodded, but the pacing and hand wringing continued.

"I think she would like you to go see her."

"Of course she would, why wouldn't she?" He turned to her and his entire face wore the mask of a man just figuring it out. "Oh, that was a suggestion, wasn't it?"

Martha nodded, but moved out of the way as the Doctor barreled for the corridor to the infirmary.

"Well," he announced in an overly jovial tone, the doctor rubbed his hands together and smiled at the two on the bed. "Looks like its D Day, the troops are poised and ready to land.' He grinned manically.

Amy patted her middle and smiled. "Yup, and I am quite sure it's going to be a victory."

The Doctor whipped out his sonic and waved it over his companion. "Yes, well looks like things are progressing as they should." He seemed loathe getting closer than the side of Amy's bed. His actions spoke of a man afraid of whatever event was about to take place.

"Doctor," Rory asked, grasping his wife's hand "Are you sure, I mean would that thing tell you if anything is wrong? I mean she is a month early."

The Doctor whacked Rory on the back, laughed and shook his head. "A month early, that's a good one Rory. "

Martha frowned, "But, she is a month early. I mean it's no big deal, the baby is healthy, but she is a full month early."

"Martha," the Doctor shook his head at her. "Are you sure?"

Martha took out Amy's file herself and the two put their heads together. "It's not a month early." The Doctor insisted, hand behind his head.

"Isn't it possible you are wrong," Martha asked.

"It's more possible that you are wrong." He fired back. "And really, when have you known me to be wrong?"

Three pairs of human eyes and one pair of dragon eyes stared back at him in disbelief. "When it counts?" he amended.

But the stare continued.

"Oh all right. Martha the thing is, did you calculate the right gestation given the difference in both gravitational pull and time variance."

"Time variance?" she sniffed.

The Doctor sighed, but launched into his usual 'I am going to educate you.' Routine. "The days here are 44 hours long.

"Of course I accounted for that, otherwise I would have her listed as 24 weeks, not thirty six."

"Don't get so tetchy Martha; I am only trying to explain."

"You are trying to laud your superior mind over mine." She hissed.

"OH, here we go," Rory muttered.

"Can we please focus?" Amy shouted. "Am I early or not?"

"No," the Doctor insisted,.

"Yes," Martha uttered at the same time with just as much insistence.

"Does it really matter?" Amy asked.

"NO," they both shouted.

"Then why are the two of you fighting over it?" Amy pushed.

"Because we interrupted them in the middle of something." Rory mocked whispered.

"Interrupted them in the middle of something? Interrupted them in the middle of what" she fired at her husband, "What the hell could they have been.—oh!" Amy's face broke into a frown. "Isn't it bad enough I am in labor? You trying to make me puke too?" she smacked Rory on the shoulder.

"Ow! And anyway it's not my fault those two can't stop fighting, if they would just go somewhere and shag this would all be over."

"Shut up Rory!" Martha and the Doctor answered.

"Oh so now I am the bad guy, you two are fighting while my wife is in labor? Can we have just a reality check to get this whole thing on the go? I would really like my son to be welcomed into a peaceful environment, not one full of hormonally charged adults who cannot seem to stop going at each other, in every way, apparently."

The Doctor and Martha had the good sense to look sufficiently repentant as Martha again checked Amy's progression. "Sorry, Amy." Martha smiled at the younger woman. "I guess that whole thing got a little carried away."

"Kinda like in the console room apparently." Rory added with a smirk.

"Ugh, hi?" Amy waved from her spot. "Pregnant woman over here who would like not only a little peace and quiet, but some good drugs too, because I think this thing sis really happening right now."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Anyone who tells you labor is fast, and clean, and only takes a few grunts then suddenly results in a miraculous experience that only lasted an hour, well they lied.

Labor is long, and messy, and ardent, and tiring.

Amy was a valiant warrior, she accepted the pain without a single complaint, and the usually brash and angry woman displayed all the toughness of an over cooked steak. She pushed when she was supposed to, and blew at the right times.

Course the 42nd century epidural didn't hurt either.

At one point Martha and Rory forced the doctor into the library, at a crucial moment of the delivery, he offered Martha a catcher's mitt.

"I am not using that thing to catch the baby in." Martha insisted.

"But it once belonged to Carlton Fisk, "

"Who the hell is Carlton Fisk?" Rory nearly yelled.

"Catcher for the Chicago White Sox, oh come on, you mean to tell me none of you like baseball?" he huffed.

"Get Out" Martha spoke.

"Honestly! This was a gift from Pudge after the longest baseball game in history. 25 innings that one was, 8 hours and 6 minutes long."

"Get out."

"No, really, it was quite a game. Two days they had to play that thing over. Tom Seaver pitched both days, and the Sox ended up winning. I told them that this was the longest sporting event that I had ever been to, well except for that swimsuit and oil thing on—"

"GET OUT!" Amy howled

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

25 hours into the entire ordeal, and Rory and Amy Williams were delivered of a beautiful baby boy. 9 pounds, 2 ounces.

He fed at his mother's breast for two whole hours before finally falling asleep. Amy gratefully handed over his care while she got much needed rest.

"He is beautiful Rory," Martha nodded at the little ginger baby.

"A red head," he smirked. "I'll get no peace at home now."

Martha nodded and sat next to him in the soft chair. "Well, it's all right; it will be a good tired."

They sat watching the baby sleep. Rory wore a seemingly permanently etched expression of pure and utter joy. And for a moment, Martha could not help but feel the slightest of jealousy. She knew she would never have this, not with the man she loved. They were possibly incompatible biologically, even in the best of circumstances. Pair that with the facts and it was a recipe for heart ache.

Rory set off for the house to grab a few things, and Martha was on for the two hour feeding.

It was where the Doctor found her after his forced exile. "He alright?" he asked watching her hold the tiny infant.

"He is wonderful. Mum is doing well too. Way to get yourself kicked out of here. I was wondering how you would pull it off."

"Not really my thing Martha, all that grunting and fluids and lady parts pulsing…"

"Makes me wonder if we will ever make love," she smirked.

He huffed but sat down beside her and offered his hands out in the universal 'hold the baby' gesture.

Martha placed him carefully in his hands and patted his shoulder. "That looks good on you." She smiled.

"Well, I should say I have had enough practice," he smiled

"How much practice?" she asked.

"Oh, you know, had my own children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, great-great—"

"I get it," Martha held up her hand

They sat in an odd silence, with the Doctor holding the baby and Martha watching the scene like a bride at a gown sale.

"We will never have this you know." He spoke quietly, whether to not disturb the sleeping baby, or to deliver the weight of the information.

"I know." Martha nodded.

"You _know_, but I wonder if you really understand the seriousness of it. I really would love this Martha, do not get me wrong, but this is something that will never be for us. I can never give you this. In the tine you have to live, and experience life. I can never give you this. "

She could hear his voice growing thick with sorrow. He seemed transfixed but the little ginger child in his arms. "Doctor, its ok."

"Is it? Because I wonder at the fairness of the whole thing." He placed the baby back into the bassinet, gingerly tucking him in securely. "I don't know if you fully understand that if you stay with me, we will never have this."

"If?" she fired, a little loudly. "Oh here comes the self-righteous I know what is best for you portion of our evening ladies and gentlemen."

"I just wonder, if it is fair to drag you into the same curse that I carry." He whispered.

"Oh I am already there." She whispered back, "Even if I had children, I would outlive them all, wouldn't i? I mean do you really think that I would want to watch my children die, over, and over again?"

The Doctor seemed to deflate at that argument. "You don't know that for sure." He offered.

"Don't i?" she steamed. "Trust me, being with you is what I want, "

"But will that change at some point Martha? Are you going to wake up one day a hundred years, or two hundred years from now and decide that this is no longer what you want? That because of me you have missed out on being a mother and all that it entails."

"Are you nuts?" she asked

But the Doctor shook his head. "Maybe it was a good thing we did not get carried away earlier."


	22. Chapter 22

**Hi all, its late, sorry Had to change the rating**

**Thanks for the reviews, they really are lovely! Seriously they are**

**This one is going to end up longer than i thought it would be, may take a while hope no one minds  
**

When Martha was twelve, her parents hosted a huge party. It was a wonderful time, all of her relatives and close family friends were there. It was the last time her parents hosted a party before things started to become too tense for the family to entertain.

Martha had more fun than she would have admitted, even when Tish brought her new, much older boyfriend to the party, or when her Aunt Helen announced she was leaving her husband and family for her TA; a lovely girl named Amanda.

But, after the party, the reality of life seemed intrusive. The entire house was covered in remnants of the party; plates of food half eaten, empty beer bottles and games half played. She looked around the house and felt an instant sort of depression.

The fun was over.

Martha had the same feeling as the four of them returned to the house to pack up. Amy and Rory spent much of the day cooing over their new son.

"Can't believe you named him William," Martha shook her head.

"It's your fault I lost that bet." Amy accused, but the smile never left her eyes.

Martha shrugged, smiled at the two new parents and headed for her room to pack.

"Guess this is it for us, yeah Gleep?" she smiled.

Gleep blinked his large eyes at her and seemed to smile, in his own way. Just as a mother would know the face of her child, or a lover can spot his mate out in a crowd, Martha knew Gleep's facial tics, knew when he was confused, or worried, or scared.

"We are going to go back to Earth Gleep; at least I am pretty sure that is what is going to happen. Actually," she sighed, dropping onto the bed next to the suitcase. "I am not sure where we are going to go, or what we are going to do. "

Gleep sat next to her and tried to mimic her pensive stance.

"Yes, I am thinking about it Gleep. I know I am going to find somewhere safe for the both of us. I just need to figure things out. We may be on our own you know."

Gleep seemed to nod as if to encourage Martha to go on.

"Not really on our own, oh I don't know. He loves me, he makes me crazy, and he makes me happy. I want to poison his coffee, slip an aphrodisiac in his tea…."

Gleep placed his head on her lap, a sign that she had learned meant that he was empathizing with her. She laughed at his little purr as she scratched behind his head. "We are going to be fine Gleep. No matter where we land. Hell, we could even stay here."

Gleep shook his head.

"You're right, you are so clever Gleep. Of course I want to be near my family, at least for as long as I have them. "As she sighed, she could sense a sadness from the little dragon on her lap. "No, Gleep, don't feel like that. I wouldn't trade you for a million bloody pounds."

He smiled up at her then stood to take flight.

"Oi! We really need to talk about your flying in the house!"

He turned to offer her a knowing look as he moved around the room grabbing his own personal affects and placing them in her suitcase. "You _are_ a clever little bugger aren't you?"

"I'd like to think I am, yes." The Doctor announced from the doorway. "But the jury is still out on PaulvVris Twelve. Seems I may have started World War there, or Enlightenment, or a new religious Doctorate, I am not sure." He smiled, arms folded, hair hanging down over his eyes. "It's all quite confusing, but—"

"Don't stare at me like that," she begged quietly. "All I can think of is you kissing me,"

"Me too," he nodded. "Well. Me kissing you, you kissing me, me fondling your various responsive parts…" he angled over to her near the bed. She felt her knees go week under his scrutiny. Even after the disagreement last night, and the huffed departure; she still wanted him. Every atom in her body screamed for that point in time.

"I am sorry," he offered, his head touching her forehead.

She moved to be closer into him, just as he came closer to her. "I know,"

"I really do worry about that." He smiled.

"I know."

"I may have a solution,"

"Don't take this the wrong way, Doctor, but usually your solutions are painful for all involved."

He smiled back and rolled his forehead over hers. "I know, but that just means they are the grown up kind." He whispered.

They stayed that way for a long moment, neither one looking away. Both afraid of breaking the magic of this one singular moment with shoddy things like words.

"What is it?" she asked after what seemed like hours.

"Hmm?" his distraction was obvious.

"Your solution? You said I have a solution. You almost never stop between clever moments, what is it this time?"

"You know me so well," The Doctor sighed with a shake of his brown head, "probably too well."

"Doctor,"

"All right, " he nodded, stepping away from her. "I think you should spend as much time with your family as you can, I mean knowing what we know it could be a good idea for you to spend time with them while you can."

"I agree," she sighed. "I feel like I have a dozen lifetimes to spend here, with you, but my family. I will spend a hundred years wishing for just one more moment.,"

"Of course," he nodded. "But, I," he turned away Martha thought she heard him sniff lightly. "I really don't want to let go of you. "

Martha placed her hands on his back and turned him around. As he was about to speak again, Martha placed her mouth over his.

His hands moved to her head, pulling her so close to him so urgently she feared she would become fused. He kissed her face, in soft tender dots that became dangerously more and more passionate.

Martha began to tug at his ever present tweed jacket, just as he pulled her shirt from her jeans. Her hands moved deftly over his shirt pulling at buttons before the jacket was completely off.

"It's a clip?" she accused, the offending bow tie dangling from one hand..

He grinned at her discovery. Grabbing for his property and missing his target. "Give me that!"

"It's a clip? All this time and you have been wearing a clip? Why did I think you would have a grown up tie?"

"Clips are cool." He offered lecherously.

"What the hell, why not." She threw the tie across the room and began to pull at his now unbuttoned shirt.

The Doctor somehow managed to pull her shirt up and over her; it hung off one side of her neck in a clump like a mutated necklace.

He pawed for her pants, and she let him have his way with them. Martha didn't realize she was panting heavily until she heard it matched in cadence against the Doctor's own steady staccato breaths.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Hurry up Rory; I want to get home to the land of SMA and disposable nappies."

"Right," he nodded heading for the other side of the house where Martha and the Doctor's room were. He moved around the packed luggage and spotted Gleep sitting by Martha's door.

"Uh, hello." He said to the tiny dragon. "I never know what to say to you."

Gleep let out a small puff of smoke at Rory, who wisely stepped around him and moved to knock on the Doctor's door.

No answer.

Rory shrugged, moved back to the other side of the hall to face Gleep.

"Are they in there?" he asked, feeling silly for talking to what he assumed to be nothing more than an oddly shaped dog that blew smoke rings for laughs.

Gleep blew yet another smoke ring from his nostril, moved over to block Rory from getting any closer to the door.

"Really?" he asked surprised at the dragon's actions

Gleep nodded, but did not back down.

Rory held out his hands in mock surrender, and moved away from the creature as stealthily as he could with as much speed as possible.

"Well?" his wife asked, she looked harried from cleaning the cloth nappies that they had found on the TARDIS the night before.

"Well," he answered with a little tick of his head.

"Well, well what? Are they finished packing; we need to get out of here. I want my mum." She sniffed.

"Well, " he nodded again, two large jerks of his blond head. "Yes, and I agree."

"So are they ready or not?" she asked again.

Rory had noticed that since she delivered William there were two distinct changes in his wife. She had become far more beautiful, he had never thought that was possible. She had always been the brightest star in Ledworth, he was surprised she even agreed to marry him. Every day he felt like he had won the national lottery.

The other thing about his wife was that she had become far more frightening. Right now, as he shifted on his feet and tried to find the right words to explain the dragon sitting sentry at Martha's bedroom door. "I think they may be busy,"

"Oh, you think they may be busy. Well, ok we will just sit here and wait patiently while our son continues to plough through nappy after nappy. And why not?" Hmm? We got nothing better to do. And what. Pray tell, are they so busy up there doing."

Rory turned a hue very near to that of Amy's hair. "Um, the thing is, when I was in college, I had this roommate. Really popular with the ladies. Good looking bloke too, well if you were into that sort of thing."

"Rory," Amy spoke, hand on hip.

"Anyway, we used to have this signal, when he was with a girl, he would leave a purple sock on the door knob."

"Why are you telling me this story? I mean don't get me wrong, it's a lovely story, but you still have not answered my question. I am all packed, you are all packed, and the baby's things are altogether. When. Do. We. Leave?"

He shuffled his feet again and cursed the feeling that he was back at home and his mum had just caught him with her cigarettes. Again. "I am sure we can leave as soon as the dragon says we can."

She felt as if every pore on her body had been thrown wider open. He kissed her recently exposed flesh, leaving no single inch unattended. His hands run up the length of her naked arms causing her to shudder.

She giggled at the sensation but it came out as a throaty moan. He continued to go over her body in long arching strokes. He hummed along with his movements, and the slow agonizing touches were driving her mad.

Absolutely insane.

He began kissing her neck as he allowed his hands to roam over her naked body.

Skin on skin, oh so primal.

He was learning her body, memorizing every small freckle; the scar from when she fell out of the tree when she was five, the mole behind her right leg.

They lay side by side on her bed, neither one thought they would be here, now, in the last hours of their time on the alien planet. They faced each other as some mutual decision for equality in all things. As the Doctor glided over her nude body, so Martha touched his. He was hairless as men went, which was all the same to her, she had no care for the 'manly' look.

Arms entwined, he thrummed soft signals across her back with his fingers. "I love you," he nearly whispered.

She smiled against his pale flesh, but answered so there would be no doubt cast. "I love you too."

She could feel both of his hearts race at her admission, something inside of her snapped at the moment of absolute truth.

He loved her.

There was no doubt in her mind as she felt his oddly cool skin brush against hers, he seemed to come to life at her words, her utterance made real.

"You do understand, right? I mean," he breathed as he molded his hands to her breasts. "This, is going to change everything."

She laughed at his words, she could not help it. "Now you do sound like some bloke from Devonshire."

He frowned at her, a small pout to cross an otherwise aroused demeanor. "I am not amused Martha jones." He huffed huskily, "We can discontinue this discussion for another time,"

He made to pull away, but Martha grabbed his engorged cock and squeezed. "you would go out there in this condition?" she smirked. "Really?"

He groaned low mewling into a growl. "Not fair Martha, all I was trying to do is let you know that after, this." He punctuated the last word with a thrust into her gripping hand, "Things will be different, at least for me."

Slowly, her hand pumped as she spoke. "How?"

He groaned again, "well, if you keep doing that, this will all be a moot, won't it?"

"Sorry," she grinned, but didn't stop her administrations.

"You are going to kill this old man, you realize that?" he hissed, flipping her onto her back, "Fair is fair," he mumbled before kissing the inside of her thigh.

"Not fair," Martha complained, but spread her legs wider as his tongue painted languid pictures upon her most tender flesh.

"Oh, now I have your attention," he smirked, and then dove into her pool. Hot, fire, shot throughout her body, and upon his first oral caress, it was her turn to moan. He played her cavity like a jazz saxophone, he moved his mouth and she provided the sweet notes. By the time he brought her to stuttering, shuddering, cluttering climax, she had sung loud enough to awaken Ella Fitzgerald.

"Now," he murmured in her ear, "You will listen?"

"Uh huh," she panted, the scent of her own climax hanging from her lover's chin. She leaned up to kiss away the scent, to taste herself on him.

"Good," he squeezed her bottom as he licked along the side of her face. "You are about to change, me, mostly for the better, but I am afraid," he panted. "So a little sympathy for a dying man, please."

"MmmmHmm," she agreed, still riding the high of her climax.

"Now, I am going to be irrevocably stuck with you after this," he kissed her navel and brought his mouth to her nipples. He played havoc with her over charged nervous system with his gentle breaths upon her skin. "And I need to make sure you realize how vulnerable that leaves me."

"You talk too much," she insisted, pulling his face back to hers. "Can't we just do this one thing without you over talking everything?" she kissed his mouth and allowed him to bring her to face him again, bodies together.

The Doctor moved her leg to rest upon his and brought her closer. Without another word he scooted himself to her opening and rested at her apex.

Martha kissed him for encouragement, and while their tongues played against each other, he slid home.

He wasn't huge, or even big, but she felt him when he began to move as they lay side by side. Together, and equal. He looked into her eyes as she clutched at his arms, needing to hold on for dear life.

Martha arched her back as he found a stable maddeningly slow rhythm. He panted with each o=movement and Martha felt a scream begin to form in the back of her throat. Martha's head swam; her heart raced, and stars fell and roared supernovae behind her eyes. In a million years, she would remember this moment; it was as if it was her first time, and her last, all at the same time.

Her body seemed to go into auto pilot, responding to his touches, and movements. Martha began to climb, and as with any ascent, the air became thinner and her heart seemed to pound within her.

She was carried off by her second orgasm when he began to drift toward the light. She could tell he was close, and in true Doctor form, he brought her with him. And as she came for a second time, the Doctor grabbed her hands, leaned into her to whisper into her ear with his own orgasm wracking through his body.

As they rode the final fractal into oblivion, he whispered his true name into her ear.


	23. Chapter 23

**Short but pivotal, thanks for all the love, it makes me happy **

They lay together, hands and limbs entangled. He held her close to him as she breathed slow and steady. "That, was nice." He smiled.

"Pretty satisfied with yourself." she accused with a tweak of his brown nipple.

He moved her hand from his teat and pushed her away slightly. "We should get up." He made to rise from the bed.

She scooted over to grab his arm. "Doctor, what did you mean it would be different for you?"

He moved back toward her, "I am yours now Martha." He smiled, tweaking her nose as he cupped her breast with his other hand. "What you feel for me is great, and wonderful. But, my need for you is immeasurable. What happened, here, just now, it's part of my biology."

"Lot of that going around for me I guess." She shrugged.

"Don't be so cavalier about it Martha. You can leave me and live as normal a life as you dream to have. I will never be quite right without you." He murmured. "This whole thing has left me as vulnerable as I have ever been."

"But, you were married before. "

He nodded. "Yes, and when she regenerated, she no longer needed me. "

Martha could feel her blood run cold. "So, if you die, then this could all change.'

The Doctor gave Martha a pleading look. "It is possible Martha, I " he shrugged and placed his hands on either side of her face. "I don't want that to happen to us. What went on with she and I, well it was a lot of differences in us to begin with. She didn't want me to travel, didn't like the idea of getting involved in things as I did. She was happy to stay on Gallifrey and merely observe. I wasn't like that."

"So tell me, what were you like." She folded her hands primly in an attempt to not allow the anger to get the better of her. But, part of her heard a distant echo, a distant voice with an oddly familiar ring to it.

The Doctor sighed and rubbed his face with his hands. "See, " he pointed at her accusingly, "This is a conversation we should have had before."

"I whole heartedly agree, but the past is past and it's too late to play armchair forward. So, what is it then?"

"It's complex."

"I am sure it is," she encouraged.

"Each of my personalities know you now." He sighed looking up.

"Wait, this makes no sense. You just said that your first wife left you when she regenerated." Martha was feeling one of those Doctor shaped headaches beginning to encroach upon her.

"What part of complex did you miss?"

"The part where you were explaining to me what I have to look forward to."

He nodded, "Right. Well, she left when she changed, but there was the possibility of her coming back at some point. It is complex. When I change I become someone entirely different, but because I exist in so many different timelines, something like this tends to become indelible."

Martha looked at the back of his head as she considered his words. "So, all of you know about me, even…"

"Yes, even him." He nodded without looking at her.

"Do they all feel the same?"

"It's not as simple as that Martha, they feel you are there, and they feel something for you, but it's dependent upon them. They are as different from the me now as I am from them."

"I don't; understand." She shook her head.

He was like a patient, but exasperated father, explaining where rain came from to his six year old. "There are twelve different incarnations of myself, at least the ones I know about right now. The past ones know about you because I know about you."

"What about the future selves."

"Yeah, them too." He nodded.

Martha rose from the bed, her turn to pace madly. "So they all know of me, and its possible that none of the others love me."

"Or, they all do." He grinned. "Or any combination in there."

"Is this part of what happened when we first met, the reason why you took me with you." She asked, remembering their earlier conversation about inevitability.

"Clever girl Martha." He grinned rising from the bed to maul her.

"So, your children they were all with her then?"

"Yes," he nodded. "They were all raised to be proper stuffed shirts, just the way their mother wanted them to be. "

"Is that why you left?" she asked.

He shook his head, I left for Susan." He announced as he dressed.

"Your granddaughter? But I thought you left her on Earth, wouldn't she still be alive, or at least." She thought for a moment. "Won't you have some family left on Earth?"

But the Doctor had changed his tune, and Martha knew a shut down when the Doctor was offering one. She could go on asking a million questions, but bonding or not, he was not going to answer them if he did not want to.

She had imagined their first time together to end with a few more tender moments, not a freeze out.

By the time they emerged from the bedroom, Amy Williams, nee Pond wore a scowl that would have put Francine Jones in fear for her life. "Well," she huffed arms folded, "Nice to see you two have come out to finally get this show on the road.'

"In a hurry to get home then Pond?" the Doctor asked, the sadness in his voice was unmistakable. Martha reached for his hand, but Amy was quicker, throwing her arms around her friend. "  
Oh you know you aren't rid of me forever, just like that you big overgrown five year old."

The Doctor squeezed her back, allowed a small titter to escape from his mouth before answering her. "Oh, Amy, you have far greater adventures ahead of you now. You have places to go that I will never be able to again."

"You have children?" Rory asked, "But I thought you were…"

"Thought what?" The Doctor asked, bringing his face close to Rory's "What did you think Rory?"

"Doctor," Martha warned, taking his free hand in hers.

"I just, I thought you were unable to have children. I never thought you have had them before." Rory stammered.

"Yes I have had children; well not me personally but I was directly involved in both their production and their care. I have had three of them, all boys. They were bright boys, smart boys; I was happy to be called their father. "

"But—'

"But," the Doctor added, taking a menacing tone to his voice. "You thought you knew something about Gallifreyan biology, hmm? They teach that at your college there Rory, right between the dissection of cats and the proper way to change a bed pan."

"No need to get so touchy doctor." Rory stood his ground. "I was assumed something. That was my fault.' He nodded.

"Yes Rory, yes it was your fault. I don't ask you about your biological drives, now do i?"

"No," Rory spoke into the tense room. "Because you already know about us, now don't you? What I have noticed, is that you like to keep anything about yourself under a tight lock and key. I mean, how much do any of us know about you?"

The glower that the Doctor graced upon Rory was so similar to the one he had given to the Davros that Martha felt it necessary to intervene. For moments, which seemed to stretch out into hours, she feared for Rory's existence. Oncoming Storm was hanging around each edge of the Doctor's angular features. "Doctor." Martha snapped sharply "He just made an observation, he wasn't saying anything that was meant to be offensive."

"Oh. Rory is a big boy Martha, I am sure he can explain exactly what he meant." The Doctor amended, not breaking the eye lock with Rory.

"But, you never do, do you?" Rory went on. "You never have to explain yourself. You sweep in, save the day, punish those that you deem in need of being punished. But, who polices you?" Rory dared. To his credit, he seemed completely unimpressed with the look of absolute rage that was beginning to drift across the Doctor's face.

Martha could recognize a volatile situation at a hundred paces, and it did not take a telescope to see that this one was quickly about to become something very ugly. She realized that the Doctor was probably in a heightened sense of ire after the conversation they had had. Martha was aware of things that he did not want to discuss, and how he kept those subjects out of the hopper at all costs.

But, she had foolishly assumed that what happened between them would change things. It hadn't. "We need to get these two home Doctor,"

Martha's voice seemed to snap him out of his ire. "Well," the Doctor smiled with that nervous hand rubbing. "Best to get going. We have to load the TARDIS and get you lot home to Ledworth."

The Doctor whistled as he made his way out to the TARDIS, arms full of luggage.

"He is sort of high strung." Amy noted, holding Will in her arms.

"Yeah I would of through all of that would have chilled him out a little" Rory threw.

"Excuse me," Martha simmered. "But what business of yours is it what we do, or have done, or will do?" She turned and left the young couple gawping after her.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

They spent the late evening loading their belongings into the time machine. The four friends, once chatty and full of laughs, seemed to be as complete strangers as they emptied the Alien estates. Martha avoided the Doctor, who avoided everyone else. By the time they had everything in the TARDIS, the four agreed to finish off the supplies in the fridge for a last meal together.

Amy cooked while Martha and Rory took turns holding Will, all of them pretending not to notice the Doctor's dark mood anytime Martha held the baby.

"I need to take Gleep out for his last flight, so he can get a bit of a stretch before we leave." Martha rose from the seat before the meal was served. She held it together as the Doctor ignored her obvious attempt to get him to walk with her.

He continued to sulk quietly in the corner as she and Gleep made their way for the last time out the back door.

The first sun had yet to set, and it cast crazy green tones across the deepening sly. Emerald rays of the dying sun cast a tone across the plains that always reminded Martha of the Emerald City in the Wizard of Oz

(All God's Children got Shoes.)

She tried not to let the Doctor's behavior get to her, but it got to her. He was different, and it was not a good different. It seemed to her that he regretted what they had done.

Gleep seemed to realize this was his last chance to fly free upon what was really his home planet. He dipped and flew around the lake, but within minutes he was out of sight.

"Gleep," Martha called twirling around trying to find him.

"He found me, " a familiar voice answered.

"Loki," she smiled at her friend. Gleep flew around the shape changer's head "I thought you left for parts unknown." She smiled

"I leave today." He announced advancing upon her. "I see you and your friends are also planning to leave today." He nodded toward the house.

"All good things must come to an end, as they say." She shrugged.

"I was hoping to catch you before you left." Loki announced. "I was afraid I would miss you."

"Yeah, you should come in, and meet everyone before you go, well before we go." Something in his demeanor made the hairs on the back of her neck stand at attention, but Gleep seemed to be even more bothered by the change in their friend. He flew in angry lines back and forth between the two at the lake front.

But Loki only smiled wider, coming closer to Martha.

"Who is that?" Amy asked as she stared out the back door. She had gone to the door to call Martha in for dinner, but was surprised to see a man standing with her.

"Who is who?" Rory asked coming to get a view at what Amy was seeing.

"That man, with Martha, the tall fellow. I have never seen him before. He looks human."

The couple was shoved aside by the Doctor as he made his way through the door. "This isn't right." He asserted, bursting through the flimsy door.

"Doctor," Rory yelled, trying in vain to keep up with the Doctor's run.

"Martha!" The Doctor yelled. "Come away from there."

But Loki grabbed Martha's arm and turned to the man advancing upon them. "What are you doing?" Martha yelled, tugging desperately to get away from Loki.

"Martha!" The Doctor continued running, panic filled his voice. "Step away from her Loki." The Doctor asserted.

But Loki only continued to grin as he hit the button on his vortex manipulator. In a flash Loki and Martha were gone.


	24. Chapter 24

**Hope you enjoy this, it is going somewhere. A few clues as to who Loki is,any guesses? **

If the idea of rage and the Doctor were fast friends was ever in doubt, the question now lay in tatters upon the now empty ground. The Doctor let out a sound that would have made the entire Dalek Empire cower for mercy.

Gleep flew around in circles over the patch of land where Martha once stood. He blew angry smoke signals into the air and made his air horn sound in anger.

The Doctor flashed anger, it seemed to leech from his very pores. The day was drawing to an end, the emerald sky covered in aurora and stars. The sound of the Doctor's sonic seemed alien against the oncoming night.

Rory stood next to him, not sure how to react or even what to say. He wanted to ask about a dozen questions, but he honestly feared that rage being turned on him in effigy. Instead, he continued to watch as the Doctor turned around in circles, sonic screwdriver out, scanning thin air.

He wore a look of absolute ire and determination. Rory knew that look, had seen that same look on the Doctor's face enough times to know that reality itself maybe ripped apart to find Martha.

"What just happened?" Amy asked as she ran toward the pair.

Rory shook his head and the Doctor pretended not to hear her question. He stormed off for the TARDIS,

"She's gone." Rory announced to his wife as they ran to catch up to the Doctor.

"Martha?" How Who?" But all Rory could answer was with a shrug and a nod to the Doctor. "he knows who, called him by name. Noki, Stoki." He guessed.

"Loki." The Doctor affirmed, angrily opening the TARDIS door.

"The Norse God?" Amy asked, shifting Will onto the jump seat.

"Norse? What would a Norwegian want with my wife?" The Doctor asked.

Rory and Amy exchanged looks behind the Doctor's back. Wife?" Rory mouthed, to which Amy merely shrugged and shook her head.

"Norse gods, Greek and Roman myths, it's all human attempts to explain what they don't understand. Norse and Roman gods are really just aliens with technologies and evolved senses that you lot don't understand. " He continued to move around the console, flipping switches and turning dials. "No, Loki is not a Norse God."

"So," Amy asked, "What is he then?"

"He is my problem." The Doctor dismissed. "Home."

Rory moved over to his wife and took her by the elbow. They spoke silently in the corner as the Doctor maneuvered the TARDIS through the Vortex.

He knew she was right, and he always followed her instructions. He was hesitant to do as she asked, but he knew that someone had to do it. It was the petulant twelve year old child inside of him that screamed. 'Why Me?'

"Ok," he nodded, kissing his son's forehead and moving to kiss his wife on the lips.

Amy nodded and hugged Rory who seemed to look more scared than brave. When the Doctor brought the ship to a gentle landing outside of Amy's family home, Rory helped her unload, carried two bags to the door and stood next to his wife.

"All right, I must go, hurry up now. I have to find Martha." The Doctor hurled.

"He definitely is not going to be ok," Amy pouted with a look toward the Doctor.

"I know, but he has to find Martha, and we need to get going."

"Ok, lovely to have you on board, hope you enjoyed your trip. Thanks for flying Air TARDUS. Watch your step, Mind the Gap. All that." The Doctor continued adjusting controls, not even looking up. "Enjoy your new baby, new family. Have a good time. We'll drop in and visit after I…" he looked up, realizing he had been referring to he and Martha. Her presence in his life had already been cemented. He thought of himself as two instead of one.

Rory nodded, kissed and hugged his wife, she whispered in his ear before he watched her exit the door.

"Off you go, Pond." The Doctor dismissed the lone man by the door with a wave of his hand.

"The thing is," Rory shuffled his feet and was reminded of explaining his career choice to his father.

"Speak up Pond. And, make it quick, "

Rory cleared his throat, "The thing is,"

"What's the 'thing' Pond?"

"I don't think you should go off by yourself. " he uttered.

"You don't think? Well, there's a truth. You have a beautiful wife and a new baby to look after. Go, be with them. I really really need to do this now."

"You shouldn't do this alone. I mean, I have seen you. Sometimes you need someone."

"I have been alone before."

"You need back up." Rory nodded,

"I need my wife." The Doctor clenched.

"Exactly. I can help you. I want to help you."

The Doctor came around to face Rory. "Why?" he asked in disbelief.

Rory felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up at attention. Something in the Doctor's countenance gave him the feeling of impending disaster.

Someone was going to pay, and it was going to be expensive.

"Why?" he asked back to the Doctor.

The Doctor continued to stare at the young nurse, eyes fixed, breathing even and eyes blazing.

"BecauseifitwasmywifeIwouldn'twanttodoitalone." Rory answered. "And sometimes, you need to have a second in command."

"I have that damn dragon for that," the Doctor hooked a thumb over to Gleep who walked in fitful circles around the console.

"Can't imagine he will be much help." Rory smirked. "He can't even breathe fire yet."

"Yet," the Doctor nodded, and then offered Rory a sidelong stare. "You do realize this may be dangerous."

"Ah, yup." Rory offered with as much bravery as he could muster.

"This could be a while; I mean I have to literally search the ends of the universe for her. This could take a while; you may miss a lot of William's growing up. "

"Good thing it also travels in time then, yeah?" he asked with a smirk.

"You can come along if you stay out of the way," the Doctor warned,

"I'll come along if you stop calling me Pond." Rory countered.

The Doctor offered his first honest smile before patting Rory on the back and moving toward the console again. "All right Pond!" He called eagerly.

"It's Williams actually," Rory twitched. "Or Rory, Rory works. I like that name. It sort of has grown on me."

"We are going to find Martha," The Doctor announced

"…over the years, I answer pretty well to that name."

"…save the girl save the day, save the dragon." The Doctor went on.

"The Dragon?" Rory asked with a look over to a still fretting Gleep.

"Did I mention?" The Doctor asked "If they are too far apart for too long…" The Doctor looked at Rory and shook his head. "Well, it won't come to that. I am far too clever and brilliant to not be able to fix this one little thing."

"Far too clever," Rory agreed, throwing his duffle upon the jump seat and moving closer to the console.

The Doctor nodded and reached for his sonic. "Now, where to begin."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

She remembered he had said that time travel without a vehicle was murder.

He was right.

Martha felt tired, and drained as they landed with a soft bump onto a world seemingly populated by pillows.

"OOF" she heard next to her.

Her abductor stretched out next to her and rubbed his head. "Oh that tis not ever fun." He announced with a groan.

Martha was quick to her feet, eyeing her surrounding, she moved to stand over the man she once considered a friend. "What have you done?" she asserted. "Take me back! Take me back right now!"

Loki leapt to his feet and grinned wolfishly. "Now, Martha, I went through all of this trouble to bring you here, why would I want to take you back to him?"

Martha reached for the Vortex manipulator on Loki's wrist, but he angled away from her and shool a long finger in her direction. "Ah, Ah, none of that now! We are going to have a good time, you and I, some big fun."

Martha moved away from the man, she had seen that same look enough times in her year as a fugitive. She had seen men look at her and other women in that way. Menacing and dangerous in their intent.

Loki interpreted her movements and laughed. "Oh, really? Really? Do I even look like that is something I would want, from you?" he gloated.

Martha cringed at his tone. There was something mildly unhinged about Loki. For Martha, she was reminded of the Master, and wondered if this was yet another insane Time Lord. But, the Martha standing in the purple and pink gaudy room was not the same one who first travelled with the Doctor Martha Jones was a woman who had done extraordinary things, not just those in the aide of a certain alien. Working in inner city hospitals had taught her to stay calm in any situation, and never, never let them see you sweat.

She tried to get a handle on her surroundings, they seemed to be in a large room, and the gaudy colors reminded her of a boudoir. The walls seemed covered in lush fabrics and tapestries. The designer was more than likely blind and sentimental, but the amenities screamed posh. Martha was sure she was not on Earth, and it made her wish for home all the more.

Who are you?" she asked calmly.

Loki laughed instead of answering; he twisted around and through his arms around her. "I am what I said I am Martha, and so much more. I am so old, and so alone." He sighed

"How do you know the Doctor?"

"We go way back that man and me." He sighed. "Of course further back than you and he go. I have known him forever and I will know him forever."

"Then, what do you need me for? I just want to go home."

Loki pulled a sour face and patted the top of her head as a patient parent would an insistent child. "Oh, f course you do Martha." He teased. "But I need you here.'

"For what?" Martha looked around the plush room. "It's obvious you can have whatever you want, why do you need me."

Loki shook his head and sighed dramatically. "You still do not get it do you?" he gushed.

"Get what?" Martha, still maintaining her neutrality in speech, felt the early stages of not only irritation at the man's skirting of the answers, but a Doctor sized headache. The latter made her miss him all the more. She worried he was tearing apart everything in his path to search for her. Even with his odd behavior after their bonding, he still loved her, of that she had no doubt.

"you are thinking about him now, aren't you?" Loki asked with a mock twinkle in his eye. "you are thinking about that man with the strange Blue Box. Do you love him?" he asked.

Martha said nothing, merely eyed Loki with a mixture of wrath and disdain.

"Of course you love him, how could you not? Everyone loves that man." Loki sighed and threw himself into a particularly plush pile of gaudiness.. "Get comfy Martha Jones, I feel the need to tell a story."

"I'll stand thanks." She nodded.

Loki guffawed again at her rebelliousness. "Oh I could see why he likes you Martha. From the first time in that market, you kept your cool in the face of danger. Rather reminded me of the first time we met." He smiled.

"Excuse me? Do I know you?" she smirked.

"Oh no, I suppose not yet. I know you but you and I have yet to meet don't we?"

Martha shrugged again and continued to offer the man the same look of disdain. "What's with the face?" she asked.

"Oh yeah, I knew this one would get you. Everyone loves this face, well loved it. Well, loves. It's all in how you look at it, isn't it?" he stretched himself languidly as two women entered the room "Can I have them bring you anything? This may take a while and I am sure you have a lot of questions."

Martha only shrugged again. "A ride home would be nice."

That laugh again as Martha believed the man would hurt himself with his own mirth. "Suit yourself, but I do wish you would get comfy. I hate talking to someone while they are standing. Makes me feel like I am being judged. Ah well." He waved away the maids and continued to smile. "Now, I promised you a tale. Looks like its story time."


	25. Chapter 25

**SOme really good guesses, but hopefully this chapter helps out. Thanks for all the reviews!**

"Who is Loki?" Rory asked with is arms folded.

"He's a cousin of mine. "

"A cousin? I thought you were the last of your kind?"

"Yes Pond, hence the utter surprise upon seeing my old face on someone else." The Doctor snapped suddenly. "I should have felt him, but…"

"But, how did he get there? How did he survive? And why did he take Martha? What did he want with Martha? This some sort of sibling rivalry, or relative rivalry, or." He made a weird chopping motion with his hands. "This is definitely something for Jerry Springer."

"No it isn't" he insisted.

"My identical cousin stole my new wife." Rory continued.

"Not funny," the Doctor warned.

"Why would he take her anyway? I mean it doesn't make any sense at all. If you two are the only ones left, wouldn't he be more interested in you, not her."

"Good question, Pond. I will be sure to ask him as soon as we catch up to him."

"So, where do we start?" Rory clapped his hands together and stared down at the various controls on the TARDIS console.

"We start with you not touching that." The Doctor returned.

Rory lifted his hands up in surrender, "Not touching anything, I am just asking what we should be doing."

The Doctor offered the nurse a dark look before clearing his throat. "Well, this is a big universe."

"Huge," Rory nodded as if he knew the exact parameters.

"So, what I need to do is find a way to lock onto her DNA and find her."

"You can do that?" Rory asked surprised.

"Well, TARDIS can, right old girl?" he patted the console and made a cooing noise. Rory felt as if he was interfering upon a moment. He stepped back and gave the two some space.

"So let's do that then." Rory insisted.

The Doctor sighed. "It's no longer that simple, I'm afraid." The Doctor sighed. "All of the samples I have of her are old; they do not have the sample of her DNA that has been altered. If I use too old a sample, I will run into a Martha that isn't the right one."

"How do you mean altered?"

"She isn't quite human now Rory," The Doctor pinched his nose with his fingers, hesitant to admit his wife's personal medical situation to Rory.

"How so?"

The Doctor sighed. "Suffice to say that when you have a dragon, it changes you. Martha is as much dragon as she is human."

"Does that go both ways?" Rory asked.

"I really don't see the point in all of this, Pond. I need to figure out where I can get a sample of Martha's DNA for TARDIS to lock onto her."

"Uh huh what about if we—"

"Of course, I could nip back to her flat; find some hair, or maybe her hair brush here."

"But, what if we used—'

The Doctor shushed Rory and began to pace. "If we used her hair, there is a possibility that the strand of DNA may be too degraded to get a good lock on her."

"Doctor,"

"Rory! Do you mind, I am thinking here? Or, if I used some of her mum and Dad. Oh Clive would go for it, but if Francine knew I'd lost her daughter she's likely to-"

"What if we use him?" Rory broke in finally.

"Him?" the Doctor asked coming about to stare Rory down. "Him who?"

Rory made a head tick in the direction of the still pacing dragon.

The Doctor looked at Rory, then the dragon, only to come to Rory again. "You may have just saved me another painful slap, Pond."

"Williams."

"That's what I said." The Doctor moved to Gleep and tenderly picked up the small reptile. "Hallo there." He spoke softly to Martha's dragon. "I know, I know." He tsked. "Me too. I am going to do everything I can to find her. But, I need your help. Are you game?"

Gleep seemed to give a sad nod.

"He understands English?" Rory asked in disbelief.

"Don't be silly, of course he doesn't. He understands Dragon." The Doctor asked, tucking the little creature into the crook of his arm and heading further into the TARDIS.

"But you were just speaking…" But Rory gave in, shrugged and followed the manic man down the corridor.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Martha was quite sure the man was insane, and she had wished she had not been so adamant about not taking him up on his offer to sit. Her legs were still wobbly from the time jump, and she was becoming increasingly more and more tired.

But she was stuck where she was until she figured out how to get that vortex manipulator off Loki's arm.

"Well," Loki smiled again patting a pillow beside him. "Last chance to sit, this is gonna be a while. You will definitely need something to hang on to."

Martha shrugged what could one seat hurt? She was already stuck in the Boudoir from Hell; she might as well be comfortable while she plotted her escape. With an exasperated sigh, she sat on the furthest pile of gaudy pillows and fixed her host with a glare.

"There now that's better, we are old friends you and i. There's not a word yet, for old friends who have just met." Loki sing songed the last bit, and Martha was at once reminded of an old movie she used to watch as a child.

"Oh I know lots about Earth. I have spent much of my life as a human, best body parts, and most original reproduction methods.'

"Who are you?" Martha asked again in an attempt to redirect the conversation.

"Patience Martha Jones, I am getting there." Loki admonished. Loki shuffled himself around a bit, then sighed. "I have to slip into something more comfortable." He grinned, "But I suppose I will start talking a bit while I change. You don't mind do you?" he asked with mock graciousness.

"By all means," Martha retorted with an equal share of false salacious tone, replete with a grand sweeping gesture.

Loki grinned back but ignored the sarcasm. "I have been in love with that man since the first time I saw him."

"Really?" Martha asked, it was strange to see the man with that face talking about being in love with the man with that face

"Oh yes. Well, he was wearing an entirely different skin at the time."

"Do tell,"

"Martha, are you going to let me tell this story, or is the snark level going to rise as we go along?"

Martha again made the grand sweep but said nothing.

"That's better." Loki nodded. "I loved him and he never looked at me twice. "

"Oh not you too," She mumbled. "Sorry," Martha offered with raised hands. "I have seen this movie a few times, it's like the sequels are no different from the original."

"Oh don't I know it." Loki spoke; his voice seemed to come softer, with a bit more velvet to it. Martha had assumed he had begun his change. "I saved his life the first time I met him. But he didn't know me, not like this. Not like how I am now. He doesn't know me as anyone except her."

Martha wanted to ask her who, but membered Loki's ire at her interruptions. Angering the unhinged was never a good idea.

"He was so much younger, and so much older at the same time. I wanted him at that moment. But, well you know the Doctor."

"Yeah," Martha agreed.

"He was wearing this garish multi colored coat and this wild blonde hair. He was pretty unhinged himself. I saved his life and the life of that horrid woman he traveled with. I was wearing a different skin then myself."

"I figured."

"I wanted him so bad, but he was so angry then. I still don't know why."

"Maybe you should have asked him." Martha offered.

The two of them looked at each other in absolute silence before sharing an honest laugh at that one. "Yeah," Martha nodded. "That was a bit of pulling your leg."

"Oh but not really," Loki added, that new voice becoming every softer, and Martha noted, his featured had already begin their slow ebb into something different.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, he tells you everything doesn't he? The Martha I know is his sworn confidant. His perfect other." Loki's now oddly dimensional face pulled into a noticeably sour mask. "The little Woman." He teased.

Martha sat silent, wondering how this stranger knew of her recently changed relationship with the Doctor. "I don't know what you mean."

"Oh, yes you do. I purposely hung around until that day. I wanted to make sure you were ripped from his arms."

Martha felt a niggling in the back of her mind something about this was so wrong. "I don't understand."

Loki leaned his now altered face closer to Martha's "Oh yes you do. You are his mate now, aren't you?"

And in that Martha suddenly saw where this was going. This was a disgruntled jilted lover. "I have not even met you yet." She offered.

"Oh, and if I have done this right, you never will." Loki, with his new face, grinned evilly. "See, if he is a grieving widower, I have a better chance at getting in there and saving the day, don't i?"

"Or," Martha offered, feeling like Scheherazade, desperate to do anything to prolong her life. "He could allow the grief to eat him up and shut off to everyone."

Loki seemed to consider this, with his oddly shifting face. He was changing into something different; his face became rounder, softer. The eyes, gone were the chocolate brown of her Doctor, changed into a clear azure. "I think," she began. "He will be ready for the first woman who can give him a little encouragement."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The infirmary brought Rory memories of his wife and the birth of their son. He imagined that someday, the boy will marvel at the idea that he was born on an alien ship, marooned on an alien planet. He would have questions that would be fun to answer for him, but only when he was old enough to know better than to share too much of that information.

The Doctor placed Gleep onto the gurney and began fussing over the odd equipment in the small clinic.

A muffled sound not unlike someone's cell phone going off broke the silence. Rory checked his phone but found it as silent as ever. He realized that it was the doctor's pants singing.

"Doctor." He prodded, "Have you got a mobile?"

The Doctor seemed not to hear the question, or was merely opting to ignore it. He continued to ready the necessary equipment, completely ignoring his own pants.

"Doctor?" Rory announced again, becoming annoyed at the man's absent mindedness.

"Hmmm? Rory." He warned. "We talked about this, you were going to stay out of the way." He went back to what he was doing. "And for god sakes, answer your damn phone."

Rory sighed in exasperation, before thrusting his own hand into the doctor's pocket. Surprised at both the depth of the pocket and the lack of reaction from the man in possession of said pockets, he dug around and prayed nothing bit him.

"It's for you," he announced, handing the extracted phone over to the Doctor.

The Doctor accepted the phone with an annoyed grunt. "Hallo," he answered, then, eyes turned heavenward, he blew out an exasperated breath. "Not now, Jack."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Martha gawped at the person across from her, the face had completely changed from something familiar to someone she did not know.

The blonde woman laughed at her and clapped her hands madly. "See," she nodded manically. "Would you want me? I would want me like this. Anyone would. He knows me in this body. He knew me before, and he loves me now. At least, he did before you showed up again."

"I am sorry if this has interrupted your life. But, if you are so in love with im, why not just jump forward to a time when I am already dead? Why interfere in my life? I will be dead way before you, obviously; surely you are not so impatient that you could not wait me out."

"Oh don't pretend that I am stupid Martha Jones!" The now woman before her suddenly burst in anger. "You and I both know you like a very long time. You and that little beast of yours."

Martha's heart clenched at the thought of Gleep, how he must be terrified for her. "Loki, please I will leave him alone. Just, please take me home. Back to Earth even. I can lay low."

"No you can't, what is done is done Martha." Loki sighed and rose from her seat. She was now a lush female, blonde curly hair and a wicked smile to boot. "I once told him I had a complex time line, but you." She pointed at her hostage. "Are all tied up with him, aren't you?"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The man standing in the console room stood as if he belonged there. "Well, " he smirked. "You get any younger and I will need therapy for my fantasies."

"Not now Jack."

He turned to the tall man on the other side of the room/ "Captain Jack Harkness." He thrust his hand at Rory. "And may I say I have always had the utmost respect for blondes."

"Don't get too close, Pond." The Doctor warned stepping between the two.

"Rory, Rory Williams."

"Tasty," Jack winked.

"Jack!" The Doctor warned.

"What? I am just being friendly."

"He's married."

"So are you apparently." Jack leaned in an smelled his friend." "Who is the lucky girl. It is a girl right?"

"Yes!" the Doctor's voice belied his annoyance with his old friend. "And she is the reason you are here. Can we focus, please?"

Captain Jack shook his head. "No, I am here because Francine says her daughter hasn't contacted her. She called her two days ago said you were going to drop her off. Francine tried to call and…" Jack looked over to his friend with a look of absolute horror. "No!" he shook his head from side to side. "I don't believe that. The way you treated her, the things you did to that woman and what her family went through. I have a hard time believing that she forgave all of that, or any of that for that matter."

"Jack, you don't know—"

"Where is she?" Jack's tone made Rory flinch, but the Doctor seemed completely unaffected by the American's anger. "Where is she and what have you done with her?"

**Did you get it yet? Oh who could it be? Anyone? Anyone?**


	26. Chapter 26

I** love you all, so clever. I am not saying you are right, but you are so clever. **

**Oh and QT damn man you blew me away!**

**Keep the love flowing, i love reading your thoughts!**

Three men stood in silence, two of them eyes each other with less than pleasant glares. Rory wondered how long before they pissed in the corners.

"I did nothing to her Jack." The Doctor defended.

But, Jack stood tall, eyes fixed upon the Doctor, "Then where is she. "

"That is what I am trying to make happen right now."

"How did you talk her into bonding with you." He fumed.

"Jack, you have known Martha nearly as long as I have, do you really think anyone could talk her into anything?"

"You can, and you know you have a sway with her that is unhealthy. All that time you knew how she felt. All that time you used her for you, against her."

Gleep took that moment to announce his displeasure with the entire situation. He tried to fly to the upper level of the TARDIS, but crashed into Jack's head instead.

"Hello little fella." Jack smiled taking hold of the small creature. "Yours?" he asked Rory but then shook his head. "I know it's not yours." He directed at the Doctor.

"Well of course it isn't, don't be ridiculous Jack. What would I be doing with a dragon?" He waved Jack's question away.

Jack nodded. "Ok," he whipped his head around the console room. "So I am assuming that on top of everything else, Martha has the added complication of that? Do you even keep an eye out for your companions anymore? Or is it too much to ask you to keep them out of trouble?"

Rory was not sure what had gone down, but he had never seen the Doctor back down from anything. He watched the alien fiddle with controls on his ship. He made to open his mouth, but jammed it shut suddenly. The Doctor turned from the tall American and headed for the inner corridor.

What scared Rory more than the Doctor's silence, more than the Doctor being overcome by emotions. What scared the young man was the shaking in the Doctor's hands.

"He has been through a lot." Rory defended; surprised at his own defense of a man he seemed to have his own issues with.

"So has she." Jack seethed. "So I am guessing she is missing then?"

"Ye,s she is missing," The Doctor announced returning to the console room with a vial of what Rory assumed was dragon blood. "And I intend to turn the entire universe upside down to find her."

Jack came to stand near the Doctor. "IS that what I think that is?"

The Doctor didn't answer, he placed the sample into a slide and the TRDIS seemed to swallow the vial into the main console.

The tension in the room was absolutely thick. Jack glared at the Doctor, who continued to pretend that the tall American was not in the room. "It may take a while," The Doctor announced "She has to isolate Martha's DNA, create a beacon and track for it."

"How long?" Jack spat.

"An hour, a day. No longer than a couple of days." The Doctor typed in the last command and pushed himself away from the console.

Jack nodded at his answer, swung away from the others with his phone to his ear. Rory assumed he was calling Francine.

"He is not very happy with you, is he?" Rory asked.

"No, Rory, he is not very happy with me." The Doctor fired back. "Amazing powers of perception, Pond, you are in the wrong line of work.

Rory took in a deep breath and counted backwards from ten. The Doctor was not an easy person to like, but even he felt bad for the alien being on the wrong end of the American's anger. "How did he know you were married?" Rory asked.

"He is Boe-Kind Rory; they can smell that sort of thing."

"Smell?" Rory fumbled. "How can he smell if someone is married or not?"

The body of most beings give off certain pheromones during relations. Jack comes from a people who are super sensitive to that sort of thing. Oh, and don't let him kiss you, for any reason."

Rory frowned. "Why would I let him kiss me, I mean he is a guy and I am a married man."

"Sometimes, there is no choice; Boe-Kind can be quite persuasive. Especially with humans."

"Persuasive? You mean he can convince me to kiss him?"

"Amongst other things." The Doctor nodded.

Rory looked over to Jack who was still well engrossed into his phone conversation.

The Doctor slapped him on the back. "It's a big universe Rory, if you can't keep up, at least shut your mouth before something flies in." He turned and left through the door again, leaving Rory alone with the tall stranger.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"So, what I guess you brought me here to kill me, so that you can have him all to yourself. Right?" Martha asked with as little sarcasm as she could muster.

The blonde woman threw her head back again and laughed. Martha kept herself from cringing at the woman's behavior. "And now I have to go and be the there-for-you friend. Oh he is going to need a shoulder to cry on. And a leg, and a breast. OO maybe even a hip!"

"Oh, Martha I don't have to do a thing to you." She stood as the maids came again with clothing for her to change into. "Biology will take care of you, and I don't have to break a single nail."

Martha frowned at the woman's words. "Really?" she smirked.

"Do you know how hard it is to kill you now?" She asked.

Martha just stared dumbly at the woman as she changed into a khaki pants outfit. "Nope." She answered honestly.

"In fact, practically the only way to kill you, is to separate you from that wretched little creature of yours."

"Gleep?" Martha asked, feeling dread seep into her bones.

"Now she gets it." The blonde smiled to the small women attending her. "You are quite a long way from home Martha, and quite a long way from that beast. Enough time and distance, and both of you will parish." She pulled a mock pouty face. "And won't that just be terrible for him?" she babied.

"You really are nutters."

The Blonde woman shrugged, now dressed she began to place things into a bag. "I have made accommodations for you here Martha. The twins will bring you whatever you want, but I am afraid they have been programmed to keep you here. So sorry."

"You don't have to do this Loki. Just take me home, let me and Gleep have a little life, yeah? I can break things off with the Doctor. I can make him go away. For good."

But Loki shook her head. "I am so sorry Martha. But, hey, these are the finest accommodations money can buy. Have a few meals on me, and there is some great wine the droids will be happy to bring you." Her hands flew over the vortex manipulator. "You have about three days before, well you know."

"Loki!" Martha longed for the woman. But, with a friendly wave, she was gone.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"I take it you have known the Doctor for a while." Rory asked after Jack ended his call.

A funny choked laugh came from the man's mouth. "You can say that." He nodded.

"How long?"

"Oh, about two faces ago. He left me stranded after he took off to die."

"Really?" Rory marveled.

"Don't get so star struck, kid. That is not someone that is a tragic hero, or a person to be crossed. I may not agree with his relationship with Martha, but he will tear apart the universe to get her back."

"Look. I don't know what you think is going on here, but I am here to help him find his wife as a favor to my wife." Rory explained. "She seemed to be pretty attached to him and didn't want him to go out there looking for her alone."

Jack's face broke into an honest grin. "Your wife is a smart woman, she wasn't just looking after the Doctor, but she was keeping an eye out for the whole universe." He cast a glance toward the door the Doctor had exited through. "He is capable of anything,"

"Don't I know it." Rory agreed.

"Especially now." Jack let his hand run over the console and smiled at the nearly inperceptable purr she seemed to give back to him. "I have missed this old box." He smiled.

"You know Martha pretty well then?" Rory asked.

"Yeah, I do. I know her well enough to know what it did to her to be his maid for three months. To watch him faun over every blond woman that came within his peripheral. I know that she is the strongest bravest woman in the universe, and he has no right to her whatsoever."

"Wow," Rory was amazed.

Jack went on, "She walked the Earth to save everyone, You won't remember the year that never was, but she does." Jack nodded. "It was hell. We used to get together once a month; just so I could listen to her unload about things that no one else membered. She cried over deaths that never happened. Where was he for all that? She did it to save the world, but also so that he would see her."

"He couldn't see her?"

"He didn't want to." Jack answered.

"All right Jack, we are well aware of your feelings for Martha," the Doctor warned, coming into the console room again. The Doctor wore goggles around his neck and an old fashioned helmet on his head. He plunged under the console as two pairs of eyes followed his motions.

"Doctor?" Jack asked with one eyebrow quirked.

"There is a problem with one of the stabilizers." He shouted from underneath. "I'm getting a weird buzz noise in my ear."

"I don't hear anything." Jack answered.

"Me either."

"Hello, do either of you have superior hearing senses that are tuned in specifically to the TARDIS?" he asked with his usual arrogance.

Two heads shook out a no, without seeing their reactions, the Doctor went on. "No, you don't, not even you Jack. So, if you don't mind, I have to care for my ship so that she can help me find Martha."

Jack threw himself onto the jump seat and Rory continued to look afraid to touch anything. The Doctor continued to fiddle with the inner workings of the TARDIS in relative silence.

"How is Martha's mother handling all of this?" Rory asked.

Jack shook his head. "She doesn't know. She thinks that we are in the middle of tense negotiations for something serious and Martha is going to call as soon as she can."

Rory nodded. "Is she fragile?" he asked quietly.

Jack sighed. "No, but I am trying to save them a lot of heartache and worry. If anyone will find Martha its him." Jack nodded toward the Doctor."

Rory gave a soft laugh. "I would have thought you hated him the way you have carried on since you got here."

"Oh I don't hate him. In fact, I love the little alien, more than I should in fact."

"Then what's the problem?"

"The Doctor will find her, make no mistake about that. Hits his thing, its what he does. My [roblem is, he is the one that put her in danger in the first place."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Martha whipped around; finally free to take in her surroundings now that the load woman had gone. It was a huge room, reminiscent of palatial opulence. Badly decorated, but huge. Martha began to walk toward the nearest wall and began to assess the situation.

The walls were some sort of natural material, perhaps wood of some sort. She did not recognize the fabrics, the textures were familiar, but the feel and weights were all wrong. She knew she was not on Earth, but had hoped that her captor had been foolish enough to sleave her somewhere familiar.

But, one thing that Martha was sure of, her captor was far from stupid.

Martha marveled at the appeal of the man she was tied to. Why were so many women so willing to go through so much to have him at their side? She was the one who voluntarily walked away. It was self-preservation, he was never going to love her the way that she wanted, and rather than drag herself along beside him, she loved him enough to let him go.

But she had never really let him go, had she? He was always there. Up under her skin, festering like a mosquito bite under a sundress. Mickey was never any match for the idea of the Doctor; Tom came close but fell short.

Martha walked the perimeter of the room until she came where she started. No doors. No windows. No anything. The huge room was one single box, lined in horrible décor. She slid down the wall and placed her hands upon her knees, head upon her arms.

Anyone else in the situation would have cried, beat the walls in hopeless attempt to curry sympathy for someone, anyone. But not Dr. Martha Jones. Dr. Martha Jones sat in a heap upon the pillowed floor of the gaudiest room she had ever imagined and laughed.

Just under the sound of her mirthless laughter, a familiar grinding sound began to fill the room.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The Doctor scooted from under the console as the other two occupants of the room had lapsed into an uncomfortable silence. "D'you here that?" he asked from his position on the trolley.

"Hear what?" Rory asked

"We don't have superior Time Lord hearing specially tuned to the TARDIS, or anything else tfor that matter."

"Stop it!" the Doctor spat exasperated. "Shh! Shh! Shh!" he rose from the trolley and ran around the console like a man on fire. "What is that? Where is it coming from?" he poked his head under the console and rose again to bounce around the console room.

The nurse shrugged and shook his head, a motion matched by the tall American Captain.

But, the Doctor ignored the two of them, so engrossed with his quest. "It's coming from somewhere…AH!" he practically shouted as he leapt for the opposite side of the console. Both Jack and Rory were sure that he would have hurt himself on landing.

The Doctor flipped switches and soon a loud buzzing could be heard. "There it is!" he shouted triumphantly.

"What is it?" Rory asked, covering his ears with his hands.

"It's an ancient language. It's what the machines used to speak before they gained sentience." Jack screamed over the increasing den.

"What is it saying?" Rory asked the Doctor.

But the Doctor had frozen in his tracks, unmoving; he stared at the offending streaming subspace translator. "Oh, not now. Not you." He shouted, hitting the box with his fists.

"What is it saying?" Jack screamed over the buzzing."

The Doctor thrust his hands onto the offending box, raised it to his ear and began to murmur along with the buzzing. After a minute of listening, he threw the thing to the console and stepped away. Shaking his head in defeat, he answered his old friend in a nearly imperceptible voice.

"Hello Sweetie!"

.


	27. Chapter 27

She arrived into the TARDIS as soon as the Doctor opened the door. To Rory, she was all hair and boobs. To Jack, she was all boobs.

"Now is not a good time, River." The Doctor fussed, hands wringing.

"It's always a good time when I see you Doctor." She smiled. "Hello Rory!" she waved.

Rory moved closer to the Doctor. "Do I know her?" he asked the Doctor.

"Of course you do Rory; you just don't know it yet. Sort of her thing, really." The Doctor turned back to the woman in khakis and tight tee. "River, as I said before, now is not a good time." He placed his hands on her shoulders and moved her back toward the door.

"Sweetie, why are you acting so weird?" She turned and made a pouty face at the Doctor. "Weirder than usual at least."

"Who are you again?" Jack asked with a cocked eyebrow.

"I was just about to ask you the same question." She fired back at him, ducking from under the Doctor's constraint, the new arrival made her way to the attractive man in the Air Force coat. "River Song." She smiled, holding her hand out to him.

Jack twisted a smile upon his face. "How do you know the Doctor?" he asked without giving his own name.

"Oh, you know. We have been around, haven't we Doctor?" she whacked him on the behind, causing the Doctor to both jump and go red.

"River!" he admonished moving to the other side of the console room.

Jack witnessed the entire exchange with a growing sour look. "That is just what I suspected." He nodded with a glare at his old friend.

"Expected?" Rory asked, whipping his head from Jack to the Doctor to the buxom blonde. "Wait, What did you expect?" he asked Jack.

"Still got that thing for blondes, eh Doctor?" Jack asked, bringing his glare full onto the red faced man.

"It's not like that." The Doctor insisted, putting a healthy distance between himself and River.

"Oh, really?" River asked, her face drawing into a pucker. "Why don't you explain to everyone here how it really is."

At first, Martha thought her mind was playing tricks on her. She even rubbed her eyes as they would have done in those old movies. She stood on her feet as the TARDIS came to a landing meters away from her on the other side of the large room.

Afraid to get to close for fear of it being a mirage, Martha stayed standing, but her feet were rooted firmly to the ground.

The TARDIS doors were facing away from her. She heard the doors open, but stayed quiet and on the ready as the occupant made his way around the side of the TARDIS.

She saw his face first; he brought his blonde head around the side of the TARDIS and looked around til he found her.

"There you are Martha!" he whispered loudly, "Well, what are you waiting for? Come on, I haven't got all day. Time's a-wasting."

But Martha wasn't so sure. "Who are you?" she asked the man in the trainers and cricket suit.

The man folded his hands in front of him and flipped his head to clear his hair from his eyes. "Oh, come on Martha, can't we have this conversation inside of the TARDIS? Those androids are going to get a whiff of me here and have a meltdown." He held out his hand to her.

"Doctor?" she asked just as quietly. She advanced one step then stopped. "Wait, how do I know it's you?" she asked, arms folded.

The Doctor blew exasperatedly. "Oh falderal! I cannot believe this. I come all this way, screw up timelines to get here to help you out and you ask me for my bloody ID?" He moved toward her in a half run.

His words were rushed and hissed, but there was a twinkle in his eye, and Martha got the distinct impression that he was proud of her somehow. "I am waiting," she insisted, arms still folded.

He withdrew his sonic from his pocket, but Martha shook her head. He turned around to model his odd attire, but still Martha stood her ground. Anyone could throw on a cricket player's outfit and call himself whatever he liked.

"Isn't the TARDIS proof enough?" he asked finally

"Not if you've seen what I have, mate."

The Doctor threw his hands in the air. "The problem here is, you are from my future. I got the message from the TARDIS to come and get you,. She picked me of all the faces, why wouldn't she send one you knew?" he pondered. "I mean, I realize what you are to us, to me, it's the only way this could have happened. So,' he took a deep breath, thrust his hands into his pockets and looked around. "Bit of a sticky you got yourself into here eh?" he grinned.

"You could say that." She offered, still in the same position.

"Here's the thing, Martha." He began, just as a whirring sound came from somewhere in the distance behind one of the walls. "There are two very alert androids on the other side of that wall." He pointed to the far wall, "I have placed a damper around this room, which is why they could not just pop in unannounced. Those two androids, they are going to get through at any time, now. I would love to stay here and address the question of authenticity but if we don't get into the TARDIS soon…" He stopped, holding the door open, leaving the repercussions to hang in the air.

"And you still haven't proven to me who you are either." She answered as the whirring became louder.

"Martha!" he seethed, coming closer to her. "You know my name." He whispered low.

"When did you tell it to me?" she asked.

"Do we have to do this?" he hissed, the Doctor's face as red as the gaudy bedchamber.

"Yes," she answered with an assured nod. "We do."

He leaned closer into her space. "When I…" he made motion with his hand.

"When you?" she turned toward the sound of the whirring droids.

"Can we move this along? They are almost through!"

"Yes, they are." She acquiesced. The wall at the far end of the room was already showing light from the other side.

"When we were consummating! At the moment I…"

"Fair enough!" She screamed, taking his hand and running for the TARDIS.

"Oh, now we have to run!" the Doctor huffed.

"I like running, good for the blood." She grinned. "Besides, running makes me realize it really is you."

"Oh, finally!" the Doctor Cheshired. "Good thing I am wearing trainers." He panted as they made their way into the blue box.

"Better than those God Awful chunky boots." She grinned racing ahead of him.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The Doctor made a face himself, aimed at the woman who seemed to always push his buttons. "River, you know very well that I have almost no clue who you are, and what you are to me." He began to move around the console, simply in the name of having something to do.

"What does that mean?" Jack asked.

"It means." River filled in, moving into the Doctor's space. "That we are moving in opposite time lines, and anything I say could be a spoiler, darling."

Jack remained quiet along with everyone else. He was surprised by her admission, and worried for what that meant for Martha's safety. "Doctor, does that mean that Martha,"

"Who is Martha?" River asked, and at the mention of her name, Gleep flew into the room. He circled around River's head, came in close to smell her. As she raised her hand to shoo him off, Gleep flew closer into her airspace and let loose a sound that none of them were prepared to hear.

"What the hell?" Jack asked advancing upon the little dragon. It was his intention to play the hero, but Gleep was fastest. The dragon flew near the blond woman and opened his mouth. A torrent of fire and foul smelling brimstone like gases spewed directly at River.

"Oh," she screamed, trying to cover her face, but Gleep's attack hit her full force.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

They reclined against the doors of the TARDIS panting from the run. "I should have parked closer." He grinned

"I should have worn trainers." She admitted. The décor made her look around. It was more stark and less inviting than what she was used to.

"Different?" he asked moving toward the console.

"A bit, yeah." She looked him up and down. "So are you. How did you know where to find me or how to get to me? How did you even know about me?"

"You ask a lot of questions. " He threw over his shoulder as he powered up the ancient machine. "It's all very wibbly wobbly timey-wimey."

"If you had used that word, I woulda known it was you right off." She mumbled, throwing herself onto the plush seat in the corner. "So how did you know where to find me?"

"I didn't, the TARDIS knew.' He shrugged.

"How?"

"One of us, at some point, must have placed a sample of your blood into the TARDIS for tracking, and my timeline got the message."

"But, how do you know about me?" She leaned over to get his attention. "Doctor, how do you know me?"

"We all know about you Martha." He waved away as if it were a stupid question.

"All of you? Isn't that a bit dangerous?"

He sighed in exasperation. "No, it's not. I suppose it's a matter of safety. Sort of like just now. If you are in danger, or I am in danger."

"I don't get it. I mean, the Doct-You explained to me that you would all know me, and maybe one or two would love me. I just, didn't think that it would work backwards. So, I am guessing you are a previous one.'

"Don't give too much away, eh? Save some mystery." He admonished before sending the TARDIS into the vortex.

"I just, this is a bit weird for me."

"Of course it is! Why wouldn't it be? " he scuffed.

"Well, maybe you can fill in a few missing bits, yeah? I mean I was under the impression that while you all knew about me, that it would be like a diminished thing over the regenerations."

"That is a worst case scenario, Martha. I really should stop doing those." He shook his head. "The feelings for you are as strong as they are for him…me. I feel it."

She eyed the man at her side, surprised at the admission. "You are a lot more open than the other yous."

"Here's the thing," he leaned against the console. "I am sure that you must be early on in the bonding, so I am going to be the one to clue you in on a few things."

"Oh, really? Cause if you tell me you expect me to fulfill my 'wifely' duties, mate, I gotta tell you I will jump outta this…"

"What? NO!" the look of horror on his face was priceless.. "Martha! I was under the impression that you were sensible!"

She did not answer him, but folded her arms nonetheless in anticipation.

"Martha, no giving away information. I need to be safe from creating paradoxes. That is why this is normally not done with a species other than my own." He turned to Martha again. "I wonder why that is? Why would I have bonded with a human?"

"I warned you about that arrogance, Doctor. " she shook her head. "Or I will." Martha placed her hand over her eyes and drew a long breath for strength. "This is absolutely mad!"

"That is a matter of opinion!"

"Can we focus, maybe?" she asked. "I need to get back to my own time, to my own life. I need to find my Doctor and Gleep."

"Yes, of course.' He looked at her, and for a moment, Martha thought he was going to kiss her. He sighed and turned toward his monitor instead. "I need to isolate his location. It's really dangerous to do this, but it's the only way. He is never going to find you himself."

Martha thought it was weird the way he referred to himself in the third person, but she supposed it was the only way to keep it straight in his head for himself.

"It's just," he began again. "I don't think you realize that your lines in time are indelibly written upon each of us now. "

"I realize that." She nodded.

"The thing is, you can get any one of us showing up at your doorstep. It's not bad for some of us, but well. There are some of us that are possibly obsessive." He shrugged. "Angry even."

"What number are you?" she asked with a smirk.

"Five," he answered with a raised eyebrow.

"Then I will keep my comment to myself if you don't mind. Timelines and all of that."

He nodded and turned back to his work. "Right, so here we are then. I may have found the right location."

She smiled and ran to look at the screen. Tiny lines and dots were punctuated with swirly symbols. "I have no idea what that says, but it looks like home to me." She smiled big.

"You really love him," he asked honestly.

"You have no idea." She shook her head, feeling a sudden need to kiss the man in the Cricket outfit, but refraining as the desire made her long for her husband.

"I do," he sighed. "I have to do a few calculations, but I am pretty sure I can get you back to where you belong within the day. I am isolating the right location, and it will be a quick trip to meet the right timeline. But, I do have a message from the future."

"No spoilers, right?" she grinned.

But he again gave that dismissive wave of his hand, "I need to tell you this Martha, and I cannot decipher it more than to tell you what is said. Martha, you were misled,"

She turned to face the man that may have been her husband. "Misled? How? About what?"

He threw a switch and turned to face the woman at his side. "I don't know, all I know in here," he pointed to his head. "is to tell you to prepare for any possibility." The Doctor moved over to the door leading to the corridors.

"What possibility?" she asked running after him.

Jack grabbed for Gleep, who was surprisingly easy for the American to catch. The Doctor ran to attend to River who made a mad grab for the little dragon. "I am going to rip that wretched beast apart limb from disgusting limb." She promised as her face began to bubble from the heat.

"You will do no such thing!" Jack hissed. He tusked Gleep into his arm protectively, moved him away from River's path of anger.

Rory made for the woman, med kit from under the TARDIS in hand "Move aside." He barreled, taking over as the only medical professional.

Jack made a hole, but silently wondered why she was not howling in pain. "Is she going to be all right?" he asked. "Doctor, is that thing a dangerous enemy? Why is it loose in the TARDIS? Did it do something to Martha?"

The Doctor gave Jack a look that spoke volumes and that was when the alien realized his old friend was not referring to the dragon at all. "How did I miss that?" he asked no one, hitting his head with his hand in frustration.

"Get that twentieth century butcher away from me!" she fired, suddenly reaching for the globs of flesh that had begun to slide off of her face. "That, that thing did this to me! And no one cares about what has become of me?"

Jack opened his mouth to fire back a lengthy tirade, but the Doctor finally piped in. "Jack, let it alone, she is nothing to me and you need to back it off some yes? Rory, get the other med kit from under the floor. The mauve one. River, stop shouting and let us look at you. In fact, just stop talking entirely. No one is going to do anything to Gleep, and shut up everyone! The buzzer just went off; I think the TARDIS has found my wife."


	28. Chapter 28

**this is my second favorite chapter in the whole thing, and it came as a total and complete surprise to me. I love the interactions in this. My first favorite has yet to be written, and it is the reason that i wrote this thing. This whole story came about because of one scene that has yet to be written.**

**Trippy  
**

** i hope you enjoy this **

She watched him turn into the infirmary, pull down a few tubs of bobs and ends, and sail back toward the console room. "I really don't know, Martha. If I did, I would tell you." He dismissed, setting the bins under the console and assuming a familiar position under the console.

"It's just that, what have I been lied to about? Is it important? Should I be worried?" she asked to no now in particular.

"This is why this sort of thing should not be done." He waggled from his location. "Just let it go."

"You dismiss people far too easily, do you know that?" she sniffed.

"And you are starting to nag." He grumbled.

"Oh I haven't even started yet…" she dipped her head to his under the console. "There are a lot of things I need to get off my chest, bub!"

"I didn't do anything!" he mollified.

"And what's with the weird clothes? Is there a match I am keeping you from?"

"Match?" he asked.

"And why the celery?" Martha plopped down onto the floor of TARDIS next to the Doctor.

"Are you bored?" The Doctor angled next to her. "Do I need to pay more attention to you?"

"No, I am just." She sighed heavy and looked away. "I'm sorry Doctor."

"I know you miss him." The Doctor cleared his throat before turning back to his work

"Seems sort of unfair to you for me to go on about missing him…you." She shook her head to clear the insanity of the conversation.

"Well," he turned again to his work, and for a time, Martha was content to be close to him as he did something so familiar.

"So, no ideas about what I have been misled about?" she asked after a long silence

"No," he shook his head. "It's part of this life Martha. That is something you must get used to. The knowing will drive you crazier than just the experiencing when it happens. "

"Well, you were the one who gave me the message, making me crazy. What am I supposed to be doing with it then?"

He rubbed his face in mock exasperation. "Maybe keep it to yourself?"

"I should know better, why I thought a younger version of you would be easier to talk to is beyond me." She shook her head

"MmmmHmm." He offered.

"I should be ignoring you. Better yet, I should be on the other side of the room avoiding you altogether."

"In fact, you should be thanking me." The Doctor added whimsically.

Martha grinned; she loved how this doctor was capable of holding a fiery conversation while still working on the TARDIS. She had the distinct impression he was enjoying this. "Thanking you? According to Loki, or whatever his name is, or her name—"

"Stop!" the Doctor insisted, dropping his sonic onto his chest and covering his ears. "What did I tell you about creating paradoxes? Now I have to forget everything you just said." He stopped. "And I wanted to remember so much of this." He sighed.

Martha raised her head and stared at his feet. "Sorry." She shrugged, suddenly feeling bad for him. If he loved her as her Doctor did, then he had to go on without her.

"Just, try to have a little sympathy, hmm?" he hummed.

"Yeah." She leaned against the TARDIS and cleared her throat. "So, you are going to remember this conversation?"

"Yes, at least I hope to. I have to forget it all if you are not careful." He fell silent, but spoke again almost at a whisper. "Please be careful."

She nodded as if he could see her, but went on. "I will."

"Right," the Doctor spoke suddenly, sad affectation not even a memory. "Now, the capacitors are all in place. I have stabilized my time line so that it is not compromised by yours, or compromises yours for that matter." He rose from the floor and clapped his hands together, skipped over to the monitor on the console and began adjusting coordinates. "It's just a matter of time now." He smiled at the small woman.

"How much time?" she asked.

"In the time it takes for me to realize that there is a message from the TARDIS, lock onto the same coordinates." He folded his hands in front of him.

"Thank you." She spoke slowly, coming nearer to the blond man.

"No need to thank me Martha." He grinned. "It's what I am supposed to do for you." He brought his lips to hers and kissed her reverently, soft but firmly.

Martha brought her hand to his cheek and smoothed it as he kissed her. "I do love you. No matter what face you wear.'

"Remember that when you meet the old man." He smiled down to her. "Or any one of us that seem to have more ire than good sense." He smiled down at her.

"I will." She left out the point that that advice would have come in handy had he offered it to her a few years ago.

He placed his arms around her and held her close. He smelled much like her Doctor, something impossibly old, yet clean and warm. "You do have to understand what this is like for us, for him. For all of us. You can leave us at any time. We go on, we live, but there is that piece of us that is always going to look to our side to see if you are there."

She wanted to cry. It had never dawned on her how much of a sacrifice this was for him. He had shared his life with her, in complete trust of her ability to stay with him. She could leave, he could too, but it would always be an open wound. "I will never hurt you, any of you."

"No promises Martha. In my life, you get used to losing people."

She wanted to warn him then, to say 'you have no idea' and maybe help him find a way to spare all of the pain he would feel in a few short lifetimes. She wanted to tell him to go home, kiss his children and be there for his family. She wanted to tell him to savor every moment of his life with his people, to enjoy their presence and allow himself to bask in his dissimilarity from them.

Instead, she smiled, and hugged him harder. Instead, she let her arms encircle him and hold him as if it were the last time she would ever hold him. She let him feel how she felt for him, and all of his selves.

"Well, nothing to prove, Martha." He grinned into her shoulder. "But, I am really enjoying the sensations."

"Me too."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The Doctor grabbed the mauve med kit from the hands of the nervous nurse. He opened it with a surety that left no doubt as to where he was going. "You had me fooled, River." He mumbled. "Do you know how hard that is?"

She screamed at his accusations, holding pieces of her face as she allowed the process to begin. "Do you know how long I have followed you around?" She seethed.

The Doctor shrugged but continued with his actions. He removed something from the med kit that looked like a bracelet, or a set of them. "You know how this is going to play out, right?" he asked nonchalantly.

"You can do that, or I can tell you where your wife is."

Jack glared at the woman, near him. "What have you done with Martha?" he asked advancing upon the thing, but the Doctor waved his hand to halt the angry man. "What do you know about Martha?" he asked, coming in close to the creature that had already begun to mold his face into something new.

She laughed, cackled as if it were the funniest thing she had ever heard/ "What do you want with that silly little human anyway?" She asked with a self-righteous sniff. "She isn't fit to do your laundry."

The Doctor sighed, attached the bracelets to the thing's arms and tsked. "Do you really think I would have anything to do with a common criminal? Come on now Offal, you have been at this long enough to know that when you get caught, you are going to face the Shadow Proclamation."

"What is she?" Rory asked, still staring at the mess of flesh on the woman's face as it congealed and morphed.

"Whatever she is, these bracelets will keep her quiet. Thank Rassilon." He spoke to the man at his side. Tell me Rory," The Doctor began, still keeping his eyes on River. "If you had the power to look like anyone, to become physically anyone you could imagine, what would you do with it?"

"I don't know?" Rory stuttered, trying to understand the concept. "I suppose I would still want to look like myself."

"You suppose." The Doctor shook his head. "You are so human, Rory." It was not an accusation, it was a compliment.

"I know what I would do." Jack smirked, still holding onto the prisoner.

"Not now, Jack!"

"What is it then?" Rory asked again.

"It's a shape shifter." Jack nodded. "And I particularly friendly one. Guess she figured out your thing for blond women, eh Doc?"

"Not anymore." The Doctor turned from the trio on the other side of the room and ran to the buzzing. "AH! Ha ha! And there is the little woman now."

"I wouldn't call her that if I were you." Jack said.

"At least not where she is in earshot." Rory nodded.

"Do I look suicidal? Or stupid?" the Doctor answered. "Oh this is going to be fun!" he twirled around and came toward the door.

"What?" Jack asked,

"You get to meet me again."

The TARDIS came to a halt, she felt it stop and still as she held onto the man she loved, at least in some timeline. "Well," he smiled down to her "here we are."

"Thank you!" she smiled back at the blond ma, "I don't know if I will ever see you again."

"Of course you will Martha, I am right on the other side of that door!" he smiled, but Martha wondered if that was his 'brave face'.

"I just want you to know," she began, still in his arms. "It's as serious for me as it is for him. For you."

"I know," he nodded. "I can feel it, when I hold you."

"Can you?"

"I Can, " He acquiesced. "I wish." But he shook his head as if he was not entitled to imaginings. Fanciful things were never his realm. "I wish I was after." He whispered.

"I know."

"We are the same man, he and I. And the others." He dipped his head to her for another kiss.

"Come find me sometime." She smiled, but did not offer nor promise. The Doctor nodded and let her slip out of his grasp. She moved to the doors and looked back at the silent man on the other side of the room. "I do love you." She offered as much as she could.

The Doctor shoved his hands into the pockets of his cream colored coat and nodded. His silence hurt, but he did move toward her as she threw open the TARDIS door.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

She rushed out of the doors faster than he would have liked, but fast enough to leave no doubt in his mind how she felt about him, about them. He watched as the other TARDIS materialized in the space before them.

Martha shifted her weight from one foot to the other in nervous energy. She waited as the blue box became solid before her. The door opened faster than she would have expected, and his head popped out swiftly.

"Hi, honey I'm home." He grinned big at his wife.

Martha threw her arms around him, allowed her body to succumb to her emotions for the man in the bow tie. She felt his arms go around her, and his hands grasp in desperate bundles for her side. "I missed you." She admitted.

"Of course you did!" he answered. Just as he placed a kiss on her temple, the door opened bigger and the tiny dragon emerged from the TARDIS. He flew around in jovial circles around the hugging pair as the two others exited the TARDIS.

"Doctor," Jack acknowledged to the somber looking blond man. "Thanks for helping out."

The Doctor in trainers bowed comically but said nothing. He looked at the two hugging and sighed deeply. "I should be going. Timelines, paradoxes and all that."

"No need to blow up the universe." The brunette Time Lord smiled. "Especially since I just got it back."

Martha smiled at his words, but felt bereft when he pulled away. "Can you do me a favor?" he asked to himself.

The blonde man nodded.

The Doctor excused himself and came out with River in the bracelets. "It's you!" Martha accused.

"How can you even tell?" Jack asked at the thing who was still trying to make itself a new face.

But Martha came closer to the thing. "She is in love with you."

"Aren't they all," Jack answered with a heavenward shake of his head.

"Jack!" Martha cried as she threw herself at him.

"Oof!" whoa there Nightingale!" but he held her close as she hugged him for all she could.

"You want to be careful with this one," the Doctor nodded to his younger self. "It has a sort of a thing for me, well you. Well." He shook his head and grinned. "Us."

"Right," the blond answered as he accepted the shape shifter into his custody. "Shadow Proclamation?" he asked.

"Right, oh and the neural dampers should keep it both locked in that sort of oozy state and quiet." He added.

"You definitely want that one quiet. "Rory nodded sagely.

"And in cuffs." Jack added, still holding onto Martha.

"Dampeners." The brunette Doctor corrected, worming himself between Jack and his wife.

"She is remarkable." He blond added from the doorway of his TARDIS. His words were aimed at his future self, but his eyes were on the diminutive woman in his arms.

"Of course she is." He smiled.

"I am tempted to go and meet her a little earlier." He smiled at himself.

"Don't you dare!" the brunette admonished. "Besides, you are dressed all wrong for her." The Doctor grabbed his bow tie with both hands and gave it a little wiggle. "She digs the bow tie." He smiled.

The Doctor in the cricket gear waved to the group. " I will drop her off. I am sure they have been looking for her h=for a while. "

The Doctor near Martha smiled and waved. "Yes, I appreciate that. You understand I want to get back to my wife."

"Yes," the younger Doctor cleared his throat before disappearing into his own TARDIS.

"He fancies you," the Doctor spoke to Martha, his head pressed against her own.

"Not as much as I fancy you." She breathed.

Jack cleared his throat. "While I appreciate that the two of you are still newlyweds." He cringed at his own use of the term. "Martha, you need to call your mother." He handed her hid mobile phone.

"Right," she nodded.

Jack watched her leave and turned to the Doctor. "How do you plan to keep her safe from all of that." He asked the Doctor.

But the Doctor entered the TARDIS ignoring the man in the Air force coat.

"I mean it Doctor; there is a whole big, scary, universe out there. A shape shifter is nothing in comparison to the things that are out there that want a piece of you."

"Leave it alone, Jack." The Doctor warned as he set the controls for the vortex.

"You have to know this is not the only thing out there, nor the worst."

"She is a grown woman who knows her own mind." The Doctor fired back.

"Does she?" Jack asked. "Is she in this because she knows the dangers that being tied to you c an present?"

"Yes, Jack, I do."


	29. Chapter 29

**Short chapter, but another coming shortly. We are in the home stretch here, hopefully i will have the end of this one by the end of the week. Mad for all the reviews and I love all the kind words from everyone.**

**PS I don't know if this helps anyone out there, i noticed that a lot of us have been H=having problems updating our fics here. I had to use Safari to update here. I don't know if it is a MOzilla issue or not, but both IE9 and Safari allowed me access to my fics, whereas with Mozilla i kept getting the error message**

**Hope that helps you guys cuz i really want to read some more great fics...hint hint **

She held her arms close against her body. Her eyes were focused upon the man she considered on e of her closest friends. She was not sure how to proceed in the conversation, only knowing she truly needed to.

"Martha…" jack started, but his words fell flat against her glare.

"He's my husband." She finished with a firm nod of her head.

Jack reached out a hand to touch her shoulder, but Martha angled away from his touch, moving instead closer to the Doctor. "I see." Jack nodded, turned on his heel and moved deeper into the halls of the ancient ship.

"Go easy on him, hmm?" the Doctor warned with an odd look upon his face. He took both of her tiny hands into one of his larger ones and kissed them. "I could really use a nap." He grinned.

She found herself blushing under his intense scrutiny, "Funny, " she spoke with a straight face. "I don't feel the least bit tired."

"Really?" he asked, leaning into her neck and placing soft kisses along her skin.

"Really," she attempted, but the word caught in her throat as his kisses sent a trail of fire throughout her body. "Wide awake."

"Ahem," a nervous voice offered from across the console.

"Someone else is in here." Martha stage whispered.

"MmmmHmmm." The Doctor agreed, but his mouth continued to move along her leaving the same flames in its wake.

"Ahem," the voice insisted.

"Doctor?" Martha murmured.

"Ahem, Hello?" he asked again.

"Oh, Rory! You had better be on fire over there!" the Doctor bellowed with his head resting on Martha's shoulder.

"Uhm, lovely that everyone is ok, and together again—"

"Yes it is!" The Doctor turned on the young man then. "How is it that you seem to always know just when to interrupt me with my wife. "

Rory seemed flummoxed as he searched his mind for the right words to put together. "The thing is—"

"The thing Rory? What is the thing?"

"Doctor," Martha warned.

"I think I need to get home." he spat out in one word. "Amy and Will, I miss them."

The nurse's words seemed to affect the Doctor; his entire demeanor became one of sadness and resolve. "Of course you do Rory." He moved to the console and began adjusting coordinates.

"Are you ok?" Martha whispered into his ear.

"Of course I am." He waved her away. "I'm always fine."

Martha froze at his words, an echo of something heard a long time ago. She wanted to remember the closeness she felt to this man, not the offhanded hurtful words that seemed to always lie just belor=w the surface. Instead, she nodded and went off to find her friend.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The TARDIS landed in its now usual spot in the Pond yard, without taking out the wooden shed in the far corner. Amy stood on the steps, watching the blue box reappear seemingly right after it had left.

"Amy!" Rory cried as he ran for his wife and son.

Amy leaned into his hug as she held onto their son. "You just left."

"No, we didn't" he grinned.

"No," she sighed staring at the TARDIS wistfully. "I suppose you didn't"

"Did you find her?" Amy shouted over to the Doctor. He responded with a hearty thumbs up. She passed the baby over to her husband and stormed over to the grinning alien.

"Amy," he smiled.

"Now you listen to me Mr. Mysterious." She grabbed his lapels and thumped him against the TARDIS.

"I'm listening." The Doctor squeaked.

"All the things we have done and all the places we have been. You are not just dropping me off into my life."

"Right." He nodded.

She thumped him again against the door. "This is, at best, a vacation. Once I have fully acclimated myself into motherhood, I am going to go with you again, when I choose. Got it?"

"Yes,"

"I have seen how you are with companions, once you are done with them, you are done with them, If I don't see you once a month for a check in, I will hunt you down myself, Got that?"

"Yeah," he nodded quickly. "Yes."

She let him go, patted his cheek and smiled. "As long as we understand each other. " She turned back to her husband, took the baby and directed him toward the luggage. Rory smiled uncomfortably at the Doctor before heading toward the house.

The Doctor waved from his perch at the blue door. He watched the young family wave back then grab their things and climb the steps. "There you go, Pond." The Doctor spoke to know one. "Off upon the greatest adventure of all." He sighed and closed the doors behind him.

He sighed and heaved his body against the closed TARDIS doors. "What are you staring at?" he asked the dragon at his feet.

Gleep said nothing, merely took flight and landed atop the Doctor's shoulder. "Oh, are we friends now?" he asked with a silly grin. "Of course we are! We both love her, don't we? I mean, in our own uniquely codependent way."

Gleep laid his head upon the top of the Doctor's head and began to purr as the Doctor rubbed his tummy idly.

"Well, I know. No need to be sad and morose over things we have no control over. I suppose you already know that, don't you old boy?"

Gleep shook his head, he purred louder as the Doctor paid him more attention.

"Truth is," he whispered into the ear of the dragon. "I feel horrible that there are things that Martha will never experience. There are things I will never be able to give her."

Gleep raised his head to look at the man in the bow tie. His eyes remained alarmingly alert and intent.

"Yes I know. She is a smart woman, knows her own life. Blah, Blah, Blah." The Doctor shook his head a little. "Still." He sighed.

"I suppose she needs what every human needs, wants. A home, a life. Friends, family. " The Doctor's face pulled into a mask of pain and longing. "I have been too selfish.' He whispered. "So selfish, I want what I want when I want it." He thumped his own forehead, just as the dragon on his shoulder flew off and twirled around the man's head.

"Still," he sighed, "I love her, and that is not an easy thing is it? I have always had to put my needs in the background, had to be the strong one to make everything all right for everyone. How long must I do that for, hmm? How much does the universe expect of me?"

"Oh, I am all right little fella." He smiled as Gleep. "Just a little melancholy. I suppose it's good that we are talking, you and I; especially now that those fire glands have come in." he patted Gleep on the side. "Nice job with that by the way. Those shape shifters can be a real handful to get hold of. He could have turned into any one of us and had a good go of it. "

Gleep made a coughing noise and managed to produce a heart shaped smoke ring.

"Well done! I suppose that deserves a nice bit of Cantaloupe. Not as good as bananas, but they are mostly water. Might be good for some of those fires you are sure to start before you reach maturity."

"I never thought you and I would get on. I assumed there would always be that level of jealousy. I suppose this makes you the bigger person then, doesn't it?" He tucked the tiny creature under his arm and carried him off to the kitchen.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"I thought I would find you in here." Martha stood in the doorway of the room.

Jack turned to the sound of her voice and offered her a shy smile. "I just thought that the library would be a little quieter." He shrugged.

"This is my favorite room here. I love the smell of old books. Reminds me of him."

"Me too." Jack nodded.

"What was that thing? I mean what was Loki or River or whatever it called itself. "

Jack sighed from his spot of the overstuffed orange lounger. "That was one of a trillion beings that will use you in the name of the Doctor."

"Jack!" Martha crossed her arms and leaned against the door jamb, shaking her head in anger.

"I mean it Martha. Go home, be something there. Stay away from space and time. It's a real bitch."

Martha said nothing to the man reclining upon the couch. She sighed and made to turn to leave. At the last minute, she turned to face the man who seemed to know what was best for her. "Funny how you all of the sudden want to play protector on my behalf, especially when you were always the one person in my life who never treated me as fragile, or needy, or second best. I respected the hell out of that.'

"Martha…"

But she held up an impatient hand at his attempt to explain himself. In fact, she felt as if she never wanted to hear another platitude about her safety form anyone. Ever. "I just got off the phone with my mum."

"Remarkable woman." Jack tipped his drink to her for punctuation.

She held up her hand again, and Jack again fell silent. "She is so concerned that I am travelling with the Doctor again that she spent the entire ten minutes of our conversation reminding me of the year from hell."

"Sorry," jack croaked.

"Oh it gets better, because the other part of our time on the phone, she listed, one by one, all of the things that that alien have put me and my family thought."

"Not exactly something you want to listen to is it?"

"Exactly my point." She nodded.

Jack threw himself off the couch and stormed to her d=side. "I don't know what to say about all of this Martha." He began.

"Do you have to say anything?" she asked.

Jack stood quiet for a long time. The two friends stared at each other from inches away. "Yes,"

"Fine."

"He treated you like dirt."

"He was a different person then."

"That is no excuse. "

"No, it isn't. He loves me Jack. And, I love him.

"He has consistently placed you in the line of fire. "

"So have you." She finished.

Jack raised a finger to continue then stepped back. "I forget how strong you are." He shook his head.

"And smart, don't forget smart." She added seriously.

"Never," he held his arms out to her and she gladly fell into them. "Anything you need Nightingale. Anything at all, any time at all."

"All I gotta do is call?" she grinned, looking into his blue eyes.

"And I'll be there!" he smiled down at her. "So you know his name now huh?" he asked with a grin.

"No, Jack."

"Oh come one! What's a little name calling between friends?" he joked.

"It's a private thing, and I am a little concerned about how much you know about Gallifreyian sexuality." She shook her head.

"You would be surprised what I know." He gave a waggle of his eyebrows as he spoke.

"No," Martha shook her head. "No, I wouldn't." Martha folded her arms and leaned against the wall again. "Can I ask you what that thing was?"

"That was Offal, an incredibly old being that lives on the fringes of the universe. They are a race of beings that observe. Usually. The thing is, they love to take active roles in their observations. My guess is Offal wanted to learn about the Doctor, what better way than at his side."

Martha shook her head. "He said his name was Loki, and he was wearing the Doctor's old face."

"Ouch," Jack winced. "But, what better way to get you to trust him."

"When I met him on Wraivlyk 7 he said he was an archeologist of sorts."

"You were on Wraivlyk 7? That place is a hole for humans."

"We were there for seven months." She nodded, remembering with a smile. She began to tell him about Amy, and Rory and the Alien Estates.

"Wish I could have seen the Doctor stranded."

"No you don't" she smiled. "It was bloody awful."

"For him, or you?" he smiled.

"He said his name was Loki, and he was wearing the Doctor's old face." She reiterated. "What does that say about me?"

"It says that you really do love your husband, all of his faces." Jack spoke. "And you shold not beat yourself up about it. Everything turned out in the end."

"I suppose," Martha nodded. "How are you doing, I mean since…"

Jack turned away from her, hid his face so she could not see the emotion etched there. "It gets easier every day, but sometimes I wish the days would stop coming."

"Have you tried to go out with anyone else?"

"Oh you know me Martha, I have tried and tried but." He sighed. "I have even gone back and looked in on him, before. "

"Shouldn't do that. Just because you have the means to travel in time and space, does that really mean you should do it? Visiting Ianto in the past is just living in a shadow." Martha put her arms around her friend.

Jack nodded and leaned into the hug. "Are we ok?" he asked.

"Of course we are." She smiled. "We are always ok."


	30. Chapter 30

**One, maybe two more chapters to go. And, if i am feeling froggy, n Epilogue.**

**Next chapter is the one that made me write this thing lol, i hope i can do it justice. **

**Thanks to all of you who have reviewed, i really really really enjoy your words, thoughts, encouragement, and yes flames (they feed Gleep's fire ducts yousee)  
**

**I am officially giving SadGHappyGirl sole custody of Gleep.**

She found him in the kitchen feeding Gleep. It was endearing to watch him toss pieces of fruit in the air and watch the dragoon do aerial tricks to catch them.

If she didn't know any better, she would swear they were getting on better.

"You two are acting as if you were old friends." She shook her head from the doorway.

The Doctor smiled big, threw a chunk of honeydew melon into the air and laughed as Gleep sailed to catch it an instant before it hit the ground. "Wings Martha! Ingenious things! Maybe next time I will have them!"

"Don't you dare!" she laughed and grabbed his hand. "Come on, I am feeling tired."

"Oh now you want to take a nap?" he grinned allowing her to lead him through the corridors.

"Shut up and tell me how to get to your room," she growled.

"Oo! Martha, are you coming on to me" he asked innocently.

"If you have to ask, then I am not doing this right."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

They lay together in his bed, their bed. She had experienced completion in the afterglow before, but this was different. "We really do need to talk."

The Doctor seemed to flinch at her words; he edged away to the other side of the bed, rose to his elbows and fixed her with a hard glare. "This," he waved, "Is another one of those conversations we should have had before…" he waved his hand between the two of them.

"You always say that." She huffed folded her arms and leaned back against the headboard.

"Always?" he returned with an equally defiant sniff. "We've only done this…" he made to count on his fingers. "Twice!" Like a petulant child he turned back to stare at the opposite wall, arms folded, chin raised.

"You are having second thoughts about all of this."

"Are you mad? Is this where we are going to go every time we get into it a tiff?"

"No, yes. I don't know." Martha ran her hands over her face. "I hate this insecurity of mine."

The man beside her was silent for a time; all that could be heard was the soft quelling hum of the ancient machine around them and their own hard breaths. "I feel it too, you know."

She turned to face her husband, who still found the opposite wall much more interesting. "I'm sorry, what?"

"I feel it too Martha. The fear, the constant threat of you no longer being in my life. It's silly that both of us are here, now, in this bed, together. And having a ridiculous discussion about who loves who less." He growled low under his breath. "Can we just decide here and now to leave them and create all new spectacular ones?"

"Like the one that leaves you feeling you are keeping me from some idealized view of human normality?" she asked.

He turned to look at his wife, eyes darkened, storming underneath. "Well, that is fine because it is true."

"Sure, " Martha nodded. "If I was still human."

"Still, I mean," he sighed again. "It's not fair to keep you from what you would have become."

"This again!" Martha threw up her hands in annoyance.

"You brought it up." He answered

"Fine, I tell you what." She sprung out of bed as if on casters, grabbed for her clothes and began dressing in quick jerky movements. "We can just stop this here. Nip the whole thing in the bud.' She moved to the door as the Doctor stumbled back into his own clothing.

"Martha!" he called after her, stuffing his shirt into his pants and moving through the corridors behind her fast moving form.

As he grabbed for her arm, she turned to him, surprising him with her easy maneuvering around his grasp. He wasn't used to that.

"Let's face it Doctor,' she shrugged as they entered her bedroom. "We are always going to have this conversation. The two of us."

"This is silly." He insisted.

"Nope," she shook her head, "This is us.' She moved about the room as he watched her. She got her suitcase from under the bed, still packed from leaving the Alien Estates.

The Doctor followed behind her as she gathered all of her things and began rolling toward the door. He was surprised to watch her travel in the opposite direction of the console room.

She stopped in front of his room, her bag resting at her heels. "What did you think?" she huffed.

The Doctor smiled, rubbed his hands together nervously and shrugged. "Well, "

She nodded, opened the door and rolled half of her luggage into the room. The smaller suitcase, rested along the wall next to the room. "This si our room. This is where we live. I don't want any doubts. Understand?"

The Doctor nodded.

"I sleep on the left side of the bed, I need less closet space than most people, but I think you might want to make some room for my shoe collection." She smiled.

The Doctor nodded again. He helped her unpack, took great pride in fighting over the underwear drawer. "The last bastion of a free man.' He opined. "And it's gone."

"Oh shut up!" but it was her lips that really did the trick.

"Now," she smiled after closing the door, "Take me home."

The immortal man looked from one person to the other; his two closest friends seemed to be wary of each other, when only a couple of hours ago, they had put up a unified impenetrable front.

Now, Martha (nee) Jones stood in the corner near the stairs, arms folded with Gleep standing on her shoulder. Her husband moved around the console, flying them home.

"Sure you don't fancy a few runs?" The Doctor asked with that devilish gleam.

But Jack shook his head and smiled. "My team needs me, someone has to keep the workd safe." He smiled.

"Yes, well. I was under the impression that was my job." The Doctor smiled.

"Everyone could use a little help." Jack smiled back.

The TARDIS landed with a soft jolt, Jack saluted the two looked between them and sighed. "Get over it you two." He offered before ducking out.

The silence enveloped the room, seemed to permeate into the very crevices of the TARDIS. "You don't have to go." The Doctor whispered.

"If I don't take some time on Earth, I am going to regret it. You said so yourself. " she shook her head.

The Doctor answered her with a nod of his own brown head. "I know," he sighed.

Martha stormed across the console room, grabbed his arm with her own. "Come with me." She hissed. "Take that break that the TARDIS has been trying to get you to have. You said yourself, a couple of perception filters and we will just be the weird old couple in the cottage in Kent."

But the Doctor moved away from her. "Don't you think I want that?" he fired angrily. "I want that so bad Martha!"

She took his shaking hands in her own and kissed them. "Then grab a bag, and we will live for a few decades as whatever you want." She heard the plea in her own voice, but the sound of her own begging resonated through her soul. She could feel him coming around, considering the options, going over things in his head.

He grabbed hold of her hands tighter and leaned into her. "I am terrified of what the universe would become without me." He sighed.

"You are only one man Doctor." Martha insisted.

"I am one man Martha. I am one man who fears the universe will collapse if I pack it in to have a house in Leeds."

"Ugh, Leeds is bloody awful." She groaned. "Can't we live in Manchester, or London, or Cardiff. Even Devonshire.' She added.

"I can't Martha." He whispered, leaning his head against hers.

"I know." She sniffed.

"I love you." He breathed.

"I love you too." She kissed his neck, sending small butterfly twinges against his cool skin.

He nodded, but did not move from her. "I need to be available for others."

"Physician heal thyself.' She insisted.

"A bit cliché, " he grinned. "But I get the point."

The Doctor moved toward the console and again began to flip switches and adjust dials. "All right then. " he grinned. "No place like it."

She smiled at the man across from her. "It's like we have had no time together. I feel like we are splitting up on our honeymoon." She felt tears began to form in the corners of her eyes.

"We have plenty of time Martha." He grinned. "Right. Before you go…" he dug into his pocket, "I have a couple of wedding presents."

"OO! And I didn't get you anything." She smiled.

"Sure you did." He nodded without elaborating. He placed into her hand a small round piece of metal that looked like a dog color. "It's for his collar. I'd put it on him myself, but he seems to enjoy playing keep away with me."

Martha took Gleep into her arms and adjusted his new tag onto his collar. "Sorry sweetie, I hate treating you like a pet, but it's the only way while we are on Earth."

"And one for you, guaranteed to give you the illusion of advanced aging. I set it to start tomorrow. Figured you would enjoy that." He placed what looked like a wedding band onto her third finger on her left hand. "This is the right hand?" he asked sheepishly.

"It is." She nodded.

"Good!" he clapped his hands together and began rummaging through his jacket pockets. Again.

The Doctor waited for Gleep to fly out of her arms before he took her into his own. "I need you to know Martha; there are no doubts for me. No regrets." He placed a small item in her hand.

"My very own?" she grinned big, fingering the buttons and dial.

"Now, be careful! You'd shoot your eye out if you don't watch out!" he took the small sonic away from her and showed her different settings. "It doesn't do what mine does."

"Of course not, how could you have the best one if I get it." She huffed spiritedly.

He fixed a long finger in her direction but smiled. "The instructions are in here, it's got a USB attachment."

"Or, you can come with me and teach me how to use it." She spoke softly, hopefully.

"When you are ready to come travelling, or you need to see me. Or if you need me for any reason—"

"I can think of one." She smiled raising her hand.

"Ahem," the Doctor redirected. "Yes well, it is obvious isn't it?" He sighed.

"This is going to be hard."

"For you, yes," he nodded. "For me, excruciating."

"It doesn't have to be." She placed her hand on his cheek.

"I know, but to allay all of our fears and misgivings, this is better done now."

Martha nodded, drew a deep breath and held it. "I don't want to lose you.'

"Can't lose me Martha Jones," he smiled. "I'm recyclable."

Martha turned to face him again. "You are welcome to come, at any time.. I want you to know that I love you, and this is not a good bye."

The Doctor sighed. "I would understand." He began, hand behind his "I mean to experience life in every form of humanity. I would understand if…" he halted.

Martha stared into the eyes of the man she loved. "Are you telling me to go out and find someone to have children with?" she asked in disbelief.

"What I am saying." He tried to clarify. "Is that if, in your time here on Earth, you feel the need to experience everything that you would have in a normal life. I would understand. " He nodded sagely.

She wanted to scream, she wanted to wrap her hands around his arrogant little neck and squeeze. "You are so not getting this whole thing are you?" she shook her head.

"I feel as if I have to give you this Martha, it's all I can give. I can't give you children, or a home, or family. I have none of those things." He stepped back from her, palms turned up in display of his poverty.

"You are all I want you idiot!" she stormed. Martha grabbed for her suitcase as Gleep followed her to the TARDIS doors. She didn't want to leave it like that, didn't want to leave him period. She had no desire to find anyone during her time on earth. She planned on being the funny old woman with the crazy dog. As long as she kept Gleep's fire breathing to a minimum.

She decided to do the grown up thing and get the last words in.

"Its not about giving me something you don't have.' She sniffed as she grabbed for her things. "It's about the love you feel. I love you. When I met you, I mean the other you. I mean. " She shook her head in disbelief. "Now I am starting to sound like you."

"You say that like it's a bad thing." He tried.

"The other you, five. He didn't seem to care about any of those things. Why do you. He loved me, not what he could or could not give me."

"I remember that Martha, I also remember that at the time I had the luxury of a whole home planet. Thanks for not giving anything away.' He smiled sadly.

"I didn't care about having children. I still don't! I don't know why you have this thought that I will regret it later. I won't. What I will regret is being with my family, living a life here for the next few dozen years. I will go on, but I will always look to my side to see if you are there."

She left the TARDIS and walked into the bright sunlight. He had left her at her house, in the middle of the day. Martha took hold of Gleep and made her way across the tidy front lawn and to the front door.

She stopped and turned as she heard the ancient machine grinding its way into the vortex. A heavy sigh escaped her as she dropped her things on the front steps and went closer to the spot where the TARDIS had stood. It was as if some great and mighty link had been formed between the two of them. No sooner was he into the vortex that she felt her heart would ram itself into her throat for good.

She knew it was going to happen, had felt the tears start to accumulate before she had the good sense to wipe them away. But, just as she turned around to head back inside for a really good private cry, aided hopefully by the pint of Stohli's she kept in the freezer, the wind picked up, and the faint sound of the engines came again.

She ran back to the spot he had been, prepared to throw herself into his arms and scream at him until she could no longer breathe, but her recently heightened sense caused her to stop in her tracks.

As the TARDIS became a solid blue box in the corner of her front yard, Martha held her breath in anticipation.

"Martha!" the stranger with red locks called from the TARDIS, he stuck his head out but she could not see the rest of his body. But, there was no small amount of fear in his voice as he asked; "Am I late?"


	31. Chapter 31

**So i am sort of happy with this chapter, this si the scene that drove me to write this story. I hope you guys like it, whoa i am feeling particularly fragile over this thing, can i get some love so i know i have not gone off the reservation on this one?**

**Thanks  
**

Martha stood in complete silence, not daring to speak, and not sure how to react to the person hanging out of the blue doors.

"Oh!" He struck his head with his hand and emerged fully. The man in front of the TARDIS was tall, taller than her husband. He wore his red hair long around his youngish pale face. His pale blue eyes searched her features before speaking. "I am late, now I am in trouble. I missed the last time, and I know I promised to be here for it." He threw himself from the door frame and stormed toward his wife. "I missed it again. I suppose there is nothing I can do to get out of this one, is there?"

Martha frowned at his words not sure what he was carrying on about. Martha shrugged and continued to glare at the Doctor. He wore Doc Martens that came to mid-calf, dark blue pegged chinos and a plain white long sleeved tee underneath a faded brown leather jacket.

"Don't give me the silent treatment Martha! The last time wasn't my fault; I was caught up in a very tense situation. You said it was all right. Damn Norfligs, can't do anything without mediation." He shrugged and moved closer to Martha. "And after everything I got through to get here on time! The next time you need a break from the madness, I am not getting involved."

"Anyway, I am here now, that is what is important, right? So how did it go? Lots of screaming I'd imagine."

"I'm sorry, what?" she asked with a frown.

"Well, at least you are talking to me. Always a good sign." He leaned over to give his wife a kiss. "Missed you." He whispered.

"Who are you again?" she asked, moving away from his touch.

He turned looked around; Martha watched his face fall as he realized he was in the wrong time. "Oops." He muttered.

"Yup," she nodded with a pop of the 'p'. "Oops."

"Oh this is major spoilers. Huge spoilers." He ran his huge hands through his thick red hair.

"You ever gonna learn how to fly that damn thing?"

"Probably not," he huffed under his breath. "Oh!" The tall man ran back to the TARDIS, but before he could reach the doors, they seemed to fly open on their own. A small boy ran from the blue box and threw himself around her legs. "Trevor," he shouted trying to catch the too fast toddler.

"Mummy!" the small child shouted gleefully. He was lanky for a toddler, his hair seemed to sprout form his head in wild tangles of tufts, spike and curls.

"Oops." The Doctor shrugged.

"Mummy! Where's the baby?" the small boy asked patting her flat tummy.

"Double oops." He sighed.

They moved into the TARDIS. Martha smiled at the odd décor, "Changed your desktop again?" she asked.

"No," he shook his long hair. "You did."

"Giving away a lot of spoilers aren't you?" she grinned, holding the little boy in her arms as Gleep flew around the room.

The Doctor shrugged and grinned. "Sort of pointless at this juncture. Besides, I am pretty sure you can be trusted to keep things non paradoxical. You never told me about the Time War.'

She nodded and cuddled Trevor closer to her. "So, this is what I was misled about?" she asked.

"Yep," he smiled big, pride oozing from every pore of his body, "What can I say? When I am wrong, I am wrong."

"You were expecting again?" she asked.

"We are, yes. But it's you in another time."

"How long from now?" she asked.

"Spoilers." He answered, kissed her cheek and took a sleeping Trevor from her arms. "And damn woman can you keep a secret."

"Don't want to interfere with time lines." She kept it to herself how empty her arms felt once he took the small boy from her. She followed him into a room in the TARDIS that had to be the little boys. There was no ceiling, and the night sky seemed to open up above them. "This is incredible." She smiled as he put Trevor into his bed and tucked him in.

"Thanks for not saying anything to him. As far as he knows, his Mum put him to bed."

"How old is he?"

"Almost four." He answered and led her out of the boy's room quietly. "We just came back from a day trip to the planet "Myrth."

"Let me guess, does exactly what it says on the tin?" she smiled.

"Ten foot daisies, Silver lakes that are covered with a purple algae that tastes just like cotton candy." He smiled. "The boy was in heaven. I am not surprised he is tuckered out. He dug for hours in the mud, you have no idea how hard it is to clean a wriggly three year old."

"Can't wait to find out."

Martha stared at the closed door as the Doctor went on. "He was a little miracle; we didn't even think we could have. He came along rather abruptly."

Martha nodded, but barely heard a word he said. "He is so perfect."

The Doctor nodded, "Of course he is! Why wouldn't he be?"

"And the second one?" she asked having guessed about the conversation.

"Well." He grinned sheepishly. "You know how I love to top myself."

"This is amazing. I mean aside from having to think of myself as a different person." She grinned at the Doctor. "But, also the fact that you were so worried about what you could not give me."

"I am so sorry about that." The Doctor shook his head and ran a hand over his still shaking face. "I cannot believe I told you to go out and find someone else.'

"Lucky for you I didn't" she added.

"Well, I don't suppose he would have survived." The Doctor placed his arms around her and pulled her in closer. "I can be so full of shit." He nodded against her.

"True Facts." She smiled. "But it's easy to say these things when you already know the outcome, isn't it? I mean those fears were truly valid and serious. From a point of view of someone who cannot have children-"

"Who thought they could not have children.' He amended.

"Right." She agreed. "It was never a question of how you felt about me. I never doubted that. I never will again. It was about this idiotic sense of righteousness. Doctor, I never would have found anyone. I mean, it never would have even crossed my mind. I love you. I have sense that trip to the moon. I understood what you were afraid of Doctor. I always have."

He nodded and kissed her deeply. "You always have Martha Jones that is why it has always been you. But I am so sorry for what I did then. It was a long time ago for me,"

"But not for me, or my timeline."

I have been travelling; we both did for a while. Took month long vacations in the stratosphere as the song goes." He grinned.

"But you maintained the timelines with my family. "

"For you and your family. Except for this little excursion. You really do know how to keep a secret." He smiled.

They sat together on the jump seat, black leather this time, reminding Martha of her Gram's old basement sofa. "He, you, seems to think he knows what is best."

"Oh I love how full of crap my old self was." He smiled. "Well, most of my old selves. All that secrecy and mystery. I had a lot to keep from the universe Martha, and you have taught me how detrimental that is."

She smiled at the compliment. "This you." She begun with a hand wave. "Does seem to be more open and loving."

"Because of you."

She smiled at the compliment. It was so like and unlike her husband all at the same time."So, why am I on Earth then?" she asked. "Was it the Time Sickness thing?"

"That and a few other things.' He shrugged.

"Like what?"

"Wanted to be safe, Trevor didn't exactly come easily, nor in the best of conditions. And that is all I am going to say." He warned. "I took him for a little trip to give you a bit of a break. He does have quite a bit of energy."

"Wherever did he get that from?" she asked with a straight face.

The Doctor ignored her sarcasm and went on. "We weren't expecting to have another so quickly. We thought about staying in one place for a while. Give the kids a normal upbringing."

"Normal? How normal can they have it with a magic blue box in the yard?"

"Oi! I keep it in the garage thank you." He defended.

"Do we still go about?" she asked.

He shook his head. "Trevor is getting too old for it. We had decided to stay here and raise them, without all of the extras. In fact, this was sort of a last call for a while. I was giving the old girl a good recharge and shutting her down. "

"Really?"

"Really. It's hard Martha. You know how hard it is for me to stay still, but this life. Its not for them, at least not until they decide it is. We both want to let them be free to be children without having the weight of the universe on their shoulders."

"So, what do we do?" she asked.

"Wee-eelll, you pretty much stick around the house, for now. I am pretty sure it's because you can't fit through the door anymore."

"OI! Watch it Doctor!"

He grinned and kissed her cheek. "I work for Torchwood, under Jack."

"Oh I hope that is just a figure of speech." She shook her head.

"Oh I am sure he is trying to figure out how to make that part of the charter.' He sighed. "Anyway, it's a quiet life, and it's something we wanted to give the kids—"

"Because we don't know how long they will live for.' She finished.

The Doctor nodded his head. "They are half Gallifreyian. Not Time Lord. That is something learned, not created." He sighed. "The problem is, no one knows what you are now. You are definitely unique, but the kids. They could live to be two hundred; if they choose to when they are older they could learn to regenerate-"

"Or they could live normal human lives." Martha finished.

"Yeah."

She nodded and smiled "I get it; you are going to be late if you don't get a move on."

"Time machine Martha," he threw his arms open to demonstrate. "But, yeh, if I am late, it's your own fault. So technically, you can't be mad at me."

"No, but my mum can."

He seemed to freeze up at that moment. "Oh all right!" he smiled. "Even at her age she still wields a pretty fierce right hook." He rubbed his jaw in memory. "Should a seen how she reacted to our…Oh you just wait Martha Jones!" he smiled.

"Is that how you ended up with the new face?" she asked, arms folded.

A cloud dragged over his features. "No," he shook his head. "I don't think that is something I should tell you. I don't think it's a good idea for us to try and change any of that. "

"Why? She asked.

The Doctor seemed to revert to his old self, the quiet air of mystery and self-righteous ire. "I have been more than forthcoming with you about our future. Something that should have not happened I may add. I think that if you knew what happened, you may be more inclined to try and stop it, make different choices that may affect the final outcome."

"You are so full of shit." She accused. "If you don't want to talk about it, fine. But don't pretend that I am some stupid girl that would choose to save you over the universe. Universe wins everytime buddy.' She poked his chest with her finger.

"Fair enough." He nodded. "I don't want to talk about it.' He nodded.

"Good, Fine. I am sure I will get it out of you sometime, in one timeline or another." She shook her head and changed gears, mostly to take the sad look from his face. "This is amazing. I mean aside from having to think of myself as a different person." She grinned at the Doctor. "But, also the fact that you were so worried about what you could not give me."

"I am so sorry about that." The Doctor shook his head and ran a hand over his still shaking face. "I cannot believe I told you to go out and find someone else.'

"Lucky for you I didn't" she added.

"Well, I don't suppose he would have survived." The Doctor placed his arms around her and pulled her in closer. "I can be so full of shit." He nodded against her.

"True Facts." She smiled. "But it's easy to say these things when you already know the outcome, isn't it? I mean those fears were truly valid and serious. From a point of view of someone who cannot have children-"

"Who thought they could not have children.' He amended.

"Right." She agreed. " it was never a question of how you felt about me. I never doubted that. I never will again. It was about this idiotic sense of righteousness. Doctor, I never would have found anyone. I mean, it never would have even crossed my mind. I love you. I have sense that trip to the moon. I understood what you were afraid of Doctor. I always have."

He nodded and kissed her deeply. "You always have Martha Jones that is why it has always been you. But I am so sorry for what I did then. It was a long time ago for me,"

"But not for me, or my timeline."

I have been travelling; we both did for a while. Took month long vacations in the stratosphere as the song goes." He grinned.

"But you maintained the timelines with my family. "

"For you and your family. Except for this little excursion. You really do know how to keep a secret." He smiled.

"I think TARDIS brought you here, for me." She nodded. "I think I had to know about this."

"She does love you. TARDIS." He nodded. "I believe you might be right Martha Jones."

"I have a feeling that gets said a lot around here."

"You have no idea." He smirked. "But, c'mon. You need to get home. And I need to get back to…you.' He smiled.

"Thank you for being so honest and forthcoming with me." She smiled.

"Thank you for Trevor, and Part II" he hugged her back in front of the TARDIS doors.

She stood enjoying his touch. "I can't wait to see you again."

"Won't be too long." He smiled. "Trust me." He leaned into her lips, caressed her mouth with his tongue. "I do love you so much."

"Me too, now get home to me before I unleash your mother-in-law upon you."

He saluted and gave her a quick peck before stepping back to give her room to leave.

She opened the door and stepped out into the lawn where Gleep was pacing nervously back and forth. The Doctor popped his head out of the time machine again and called her name. "By the way.' He grinned big. "I assume you realize that I would not have been able to come here to visit had the timeline not already existed."

She frowned at his cryptic warning, but by the time she opened her mouth to ask for an explanation, the TARDIS was already fading into a memory.

Gleep flew into her arms and cooed softly. She realized that she had forgotten to ask about him. But then, it was obvious that if she was still around, then he would be too. He could not have left her to take a day trip with The Doctor, not with labor so close.

It was seconds later that the familiar blue box congealed in front of her. Martha found herself in the exact same location as before. Again.

The doors opened wide, and her Doctor, the one with the bow ties, and twitchy mannerisms exited the box. He grinned big and rushed over to her, hands wringing, eyes blazing with un sheathed desire.

"The thing is Martha," he began

"There's a thing?" she asked, arms folded, ire hiding behind her words.

"Yes there is a thing; there is always a thing with us in this, thing." He held her closer and stared into her eyes. "The thing is, I am completely useless without you."

"Of course you are." She agreed. "Why wouldn't you be?"

"Martha, I am begging here, do you mind?"

"Carry on." She waved.

"I think I may have a solution."


	32. Chapter 32

**So this is the end, i hope you all enjoy it. thanks for staying for the ride, it has been a blast. I am not sure about doing a sequel, maybe if anyone wants one i don;t know. I really liked this universe, but i don;t want to beat a dead horse,**

**Thanks to all of you who reviewed and read and reviewed and read. it meant a lot to me, if anyone wants a sequel, holler back (lol)**

The small house on the hill overlooking the town in the distance was more than most people would have imagined. Far more than a cottage, but by no means a regal estate, the two story old English style house was only what it was meant to be, home.

The woman who lived there spent far more time in her garden than she should have, and took great pride in her rose bushes. An older woman, dressed in comfortable jeans and a gingham shirt, she seemed to fit into the landscape. She wielded her shears and potting paraphernalia as a surgeon would his tools for healing.

The roses were starting to come in in the early summer, just as she had planned. Their buds seemed to shoot through the thistles as if testing the weather to ensure it was just the right time for emergence. She just knew they would be marvelous this year, barring any unforeseen accidents.

She cared and doted over them in the stillness of the too early morning. It was her habit to rise early to care for her garden, her dark skin protected her from the harsh summer sun, but it was her favorite time of the day, and when the yard and house were most silent.

She rose from the patch of tulips, dusted her hands upon the faded denim clad legs and sighed. "There," she smiled at her hour's handy work. Just as she turned toward the house to start breakfast, a familiar sound filled the air.

"Not on the roses!" she yelled into the twisting air.

But the blue box seemed to have a mind of its own, in fact, it did. The box became a solid reality right on top of the freshly sprouting roses. The door opened to reveal a man in bow tie and braces, his jacket tucked neatly over his arm, and a large grin plastered upon his face. "Hello!" the Doctor jovially waved from the front of the TARDIS.

The woman said nothing; she stared at the brunette with a look of absolute disdain and horror.

To his credit, having lived with her for enough years, he smiled and looked around. "Again?" he asked with a barely concealed look of humor.

She nodded and folded her arms. "Again." She nodded.

The Doctor shrugged, but reentered the TARDIS.

Francine Jones stood in the exact same location, knowing what was to come next, the blue box disappeared, but reemerged seconds later in the properly designated location. The Doctor peeked his head out of the TARDIs wielding a larger than necessary grin. "Better?" he asked.

"No," Francine offered with another long suffering sigh.

The Doctor emerged fully from the TARDIS, in his hands he held out a fresh rose bush. "Sorry?" he asked meekly.

"They're blue." She accused.

"Yes," he agreed moving the pot around to get a look at them as if it were his first glimpse. "They are."

She sighed again, greatly this time. "I cannot plant blue roses, Doctor." The woman accused.

"Why ever not?" the Doctor sniffed.

"This is Earth, Doctor." She shook her head exasperatedly.

"Think of all the prizes you'll win!" he set the potted bush down and rubbed his hands together. "How is she?"

Ruined roses forgotten, she smiled. "She is tired of waiting I think." The woman nodded toward the house.

"Tired of waiting? For what? " the Doctor's face held a mask of confusion, but under his mother in law's intense gaze he seemed to crumple into absolute stupidity. "Oh!' he grinned, tapping his head with his hand. "Right. Well, won't be long now." He waved. "You want to get that planted as soon as possible Francine, or they will… oh well never mind you'll figure it out."

He bounded toward the house, leaving her to check the offering. The roses seemed to change color as she touched them.

It may be a good year for the roses yet.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"You've been fighting with my mum again?" she asked from her perch on the sofa.

The Doctor whipped out his sonic and began whipping it in her vicinity. "Not fighting exactly.' He admitted.

"The roses again?" she asked, "and hey, watch where you stick that thing, you don't need to check me every day."

"I brought replacements this time, had the same problem with the Brigadier." He said. "And I am not checking you. I am making sure the sofa is reinforced. Are you aware of how huge you are?" he asked with a grin.

She said nothing, merely stared at her husband with a look that any other man would have feared. Just then Gleep managed to emerge from his room to alight upon the sofa next to Martha. Having assessed the situation, he immediately flew back into his room and nudged the door firmly shut.

"He is getting to be quite opinionated." The Doctor nodded.

"He isn't the only one." Martha sniffed, pushing herself up from her reclined position.

"Oi! Now slow down there Martha! Bed rest means rest, in a bed!" he wagged his finger to accentuate the point.

"I have to tap a kidney, preferably the one your son has not commandeered for a pillow." She heaved herself and allowed him to take her arm in assistance. "Twelve months?" she raged.

The Doctor shrugged and wisely said nothing.

"Who ever heard of a twelve month gestation?" she went on.

"Only two more months to go.' He acquiesced gently.

The growl that escaped her lips was neither ladylike, nor without platitudes of profanity that made the Doctor cover his ears in mock horror. "Your mother is right outside." He said.

Martha sighed and shut the bathroom door behind her. She did not regret anything, not a single moment of her life, but the idea of two more months of pregnancy was momentarily too much for her.

"Who has been by?" he asked through the door.

"What?" she asked. She heard him, but if he could pretend not to remember his own visits, then she could pretend not to hear him.

"I said, who has been by?" he shouted louder through the door.

"What?" she asked again, smiling into the mirror as she washed her hands.

"I said, who has been—" he nearly fell into her as she opened the door. "OOf,"

"Shouldn't rest against the door." She answered, wielding her expanded body across the hall into the small bedroom. It was the guest room, but the stairs had become too much for her, and she had taken to sleeping in the downstairs room. "I met the angry one.' She nodded, rubbing lotion into her hands.

"Which angry one?" the Doctor asked with a smirk.

"There's more than one?" she asked.

"Oh yes, in fact most of us have been fairly angry. But I am assuming, if my memories are right, you have met the one in leather." He tugged at his jacket as he spoke.

"Quite the bad boy," she smiled without looking up.

"Oi!" the Doctor sniffed, "I still am." He held his head up and squared his shoulders.

"Of course you are." She nodded. "Only that you nearly scared the crap out of my mother."

The Doctor nodded, "If I recall correctly," he waggled. "_She_ was the one in the kitchen at four o'clock in the morning."

"Of course she was. She is up every morning at that time." She smiled as he lay back against the plump feather bed. "It's not enough that she has to live out in the middle of nowhere with her pregnant daughter, a juvenile dragon, a gestating alien for a grandson, but she also has to deal with a son in law that has twelve different faces."

"Choices, Martha." He grinned. "We all have them."

They sat in a gentle silence, the Doctor allowed his hand to wander over to her middle. She smiled at how shy he was about it, she once asked him about it early on in her pregnancy; he merely shrugged and reminded her that he was not accustomed to children emerging from a living creature.

They lay together for time out of mind, he with his hands upon their future, and she lulled nearly to sleep with his touch.

"Martha," he asked in nearly a whisper. "I love you."

She smiled in her near sleep; even after all of their time together, all of their adventures, she never got tired of hearing it, never tired of his saying it. She loved him in every way she could imagine. I love you too.'

"Even though you never know who is going to pop out of that blue box?" he whispered, half joking, but a note of absolute seriousness in his voice.

"Especially because I never know who is going to pop out of that blue box." She nodded and smiled. "Though, I am surprised that your previous self has not come by."

The Doctor stayed quiet for a time. "Do you miss him?" he whispered.

Martha turned and raised herself upon one arm?" what?" she asked detecting the insecurity in his voice.

"I mean, I know he, I was sort of mean to you, but I know that is the face you fell in love with first.' He attempted a smile, but it cracked somewhere between his sad eyes and hushed tone.

She took his face in both her hands, brought her lips to his and came close enough to kiss. "This,' she hissed into his mouth. "This is the face I fell in love with." She finally brought her mouth to his, sucking his bottom lip into her mouth.

"It's just that, River, you know, the face was my old one."

"This again?" she asked throwing her hands into the air.

He grinned. "Right," he nodded catching himself. "I doubt that me will ever come by." He sighed.

Martha turned to face him. "Really?"

The Doctor nodded, "He was, yeah. It had nothing to do with Rose, I think I , me well." The Doctor shrugged. "I hate to admit when I am wrong."

She brought her arms around him and held him close. "Yes, you do. Or, did. This you, I love how readily flawed you are.'

"I will have you know, I am practically perfect in every way."

She began to nibble his neck. "Let's find some of those ways."

He gently, but firmly, pushed her aside. "Nice try Martha." He warned. "Bed rest."

Another insistent growl escaped her lips. "I happen to know for a fact," she began in her well learned self-righteous Doctor imitation. "That orgasms aid in the softening of the cervix." She grinned.

"Exactly!" he warned, rising from the bed and readjusting his clothes.

Martha again began to rise from the bed. The Doctor made to nag her again until he realized she was again heading for the bathroom. He watched her make her way to the bathroom.

"Wait a minute…Martha!" he turned toward the shut bathroom door. "You said twelve faces!"

"What?" she asked in that same disinterested tone as before.

"You said twelve faces, who else has been here?" He said.

"What?" she asked again, taking her time before exiting.

"You said," he held up a hand to her as his phone rang. "This isn't over!" he shouted to her.

"Of course it is sweetheart," she shouted back. "You have a phone call."

He ignored her complacent tone and regurgitated wisdoms, and pressed the talk button.

The voice on the other side was one he knew well, and had no doubt that it was serious when he answered. "Jack,"

The immortal man on the other side of the phone spoke in hushed harsh tones. "Doctor." He pled. "I realize it's a bad time for you, but the Cybermen are back."

His goodbye was written all over his face. She held him in her arms as he uttered affirmations and promises that she was not sure he could keep.

"You need to go save the world." she insisted kissing his temple.

The Doctor placed his hands upon her abdomen. "This is the world I want to save." He insisted with a kiss.

"Then you had better get to it." She nodded.

He nodded against her shoulder. They stood in front of the TARDIS, Francine holding onto her daughter for her own support as well as Martha's. "Stay here, keep safe. Don't be afraid to get into the cellar for safety." He insisted.

"We will." Francine nodded.

"Be careful Doctor." Martha grabbed for him, leaning into his ear, she begged him to make the right choices and called his real name in a whisper.

"I will be back to see him born." He promised.

"Trevor." Martha nodded.

The Doctor gave her two thumbs up and ducked into the TARDIS. The two women watched the ancient machine disappear into nothing in the afternoon sun. "He'll be back." Francine reassured her daughter.

"Oh, I know, " she nodded. "Come on Mum, we need to get safe, I have a feeling this one is going to spill over even out into the rural areas. "

"That bad?" she asked helping Martha back into the house.

"That bad.' She sighed remembering the look in the Doctor's face, the one that was framed by flame red hair. "I think we had better call and check on Rory and Amy, maybe have them and Leo and Tish come out for a bit.'

"Good idea Martha." Francine smiled. "You always were the sensible one."

"That is not what you said when you found out about our marriage" she smiled.

"If you had brought home that one in the leather jacket,' Francine grinned. "I'd have had you sectioned."


End file.
